DJ Deku
by Tiffersthenerdy
Summary: Work Hard. Play Hard. Plus Ultra. Deku is an art student and barista during the weekdays and is secretly a tattoo artist and DJ on the weekends. Follow along has he learns about love, life, and becoming the best version of himself. (This is a Dekubowl fic with a KiriBakuDeku endgame)
1. The Secret Life of Izuku Midoriya

Izuku Midoriya is an incredibly special person even though he thinks the complete opposite of himself and does not hesitate to voice it. If someone asks him what his opinion of himself is then he would easily reply, "I'm kind of plain, I keep busy, I like being helpful, and I have friends who are more special than I could ever be." While it is true that his friends are rather great, Izuku is more than he acknowledges. He works hard at everything he does including his college classes, his part-time job at the café on the edge of campus and checking on the well-being of the general population of the world. The kindness level of Izuku knows no boundaries. Kind people are extraordinary people because they choose to be kind, it isn't just an inborn moral or desire. Every day you must choose to be kind and go above and beyond expectations. Izuku says he goes "plus ultra every day."

Midoriya has a secret double life and to his knowledge there are only three people who know about it. His secret double life that happens on the weekend. Clark Kent by day and Superman by night. Well almost anyways. On Fridays and Saturdays, Izuku works an apprenticeship at a tattoo shop and once he gets released from his sterile work environment, he changes into his hero suit and becomes DJ Deku. DJ Deku saves people from their boring nine to five day jobs and helps people shake off the stress of their 8am classes. He gets to create and mix music that turns everyone else into superheroes, grinding and gyrating to the bass he pumps into their veins. Izuku only believes that he is extraordinary on the weekends when the sun goes down and the heroes come out.

"Welcome to Quirffee. What can I make for you today?" Izuku smiles as he greets the new customer who is still shaking off the January chill.

"I would like for you to not smile that way at 7am on a Monday morning, alright Nerd?" Katsuki Bakugou is only a morning person when it involved something that he enjoys doing like going to the gym. Clearly gym time is over because Katsuki is back to being cranky.

"It's my job, Kacchan, it can't be helped," Izuku huffs out as he sits the hot chai tea in front of his childhood best friend. He holds up his hand and says, "it's on the house."

"It is always on the house," Katsuki mumbles.

"You get the VIP treatment because you're special." Izuku smiles softly as he says it.

As Katsuki turns to leave, Izuku could swear he heard him mumble 'cute', but he pushes it out of his mind as Kacchan bids him goodbye. Izuku adores his job at Quirffee Café. The shop is very quirky itself, there is abstract art on the wall and each set of tables and chairs is different, so patrons can choose what is comfortable for them. There are a variety of mugs and disposable cups for customers to choose from as well and any drink that someone can dream up is possible to make at Quirffee. Many people are drawn in by the quirky aspect but keep coming back for the friendly service and top-notch drinks. The regulars especially like when Midoriya is working because the pictures he draws in the foam range from simple to funny to intricate and they are rarely ever the same. Being an art major does have its benefits.

An hour later brings the arrival of Ochako Uraraka who is not only his coworker but his best friend as well. They had met in high school, she is the extrovert who adopted him. Both of them dreamed of attending AM University so the excitement when they both received acceptance letters was palpable. The first semester was tough for both of them, but they soldiered through together and two weeks into their second semester they have adjusted well to the college way of life.

"Good morning, Izuku. How have the customers been?" Ochako chats cheerfully as she ties on her apron.

"Kacchan came in grumpy, as is the usual. Iida should be here in," Izuku stops to check his watch, "ten minutes. It's just been a steady flow of people, mostly half-asleep students." He laughs lightly.

Ochako gives him a small smile. "Are you laughing at their morning misery? Not everyone gets to have insomnia and still be chipper and full of energy," she chides him as she steps up to take an order.

"I promise I run on coffee and sunlight," Izuku jokes as he sets to work making a caramel latte. He hears Uraraka snort behind him and when he turns around, he sees her shoulders shaking with silent laughter. "Have an excellent day," Izuku adds as he slides the drink across the counter. "It's that time."

Ochako nods knowingly and sets up a glass of water and a glass of orange juice. To top it off, she sits out a fresh egg and sausage croissant with a side of blueberries. As the bell above the door chimes, Ochako sits on a stool across from the breakfast placement. "Good morning, Iida."

"How are you this morning, Uraraka?" He asks as he sits on a stool and sips some water.

"I'm doing well, thank you for asking," she answers, beaming at him.

"Where is Midoriya? I thought he was working too." Iida looks around the café in search of the familiar mess of green curls. As if on cue, Izuku comes sauntering over with a tub of dirty dishes.

"Hey Tenya, how was your morning run?" Izuku glances over his shoulder as he places dishes in the sudsy water.

"I miss your company on my morning jogs," he sighs before taking a bite of his sandwich.

"You know I run with you on Monday nights, so in about eight hours you won't have to jog alone." Izuku gives Tenya a bright smile and then laughs, "that's if you don't outrun me again." The bell chimes again and Ochako moves to get off of her stool but Izuku stops her. "I'll get it." He wipes the suds off of his hands as he goes to take the order.

If Izuku had looked at his good friends he would have seen them staring at him, but he is hyper fixated on the job at hand. "Iida, how on Earth can someone be so perfect and not notice it?" Uraraka whispers. "Have you seen how those jeans hug his everything?"

"Uraraka, I live with him, of course I've seen how all of his clothes hug him." Iida leans over the counter to take a peek anyways.

"Is he as ripped as I imagine he is under those clothes?" She asks, eyeing the obviously defined bicep under the long sleeve of Izuku's shirt.

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Ochako finally pulls her eyes away from the man who is handing over a mug of coffee and looks quizzically at Iida.

"He doesn't change in front of me and he only wears long sleeve shirts. I spent half of the last semester trying to see him in anything but what he usually wears," he replies with a shrug and eating the rest of his sandwich. "Did he always wear long sleeves in high school?"

She thinks about it for a moment and shakes her head. "he wore t-shirts sometimes. The only thing that has really changed about him is that he bulked up." The conversation ends as Izuku returns to the sink. "I'm sorry, 'Zuku, I should have started doing the dishes, I didn't think about it."

"Don't worry about it, why don't you get the next customer?" He asks, nodding towards the door as it opens.

"Of course, Izuku," Ochako answers as she slips off her stool and gives his bicep a 'reassuring' squeeze. She shoots Iida a look that says their imaginations may be insufficient.

"I'm off to class!" Deku says happily as he removes his apron and gathers his backpack from under the counter.

"What do you have today?" Ochako asks from the register.

"Psychology of Art and Creativity with Professor Hizashi. He makes the class fun, well more fun than it already is," Izuku says as he finishes wrapping his scarf around himself.

"Sounds like an enjoyable time, don't freeze out there," Ochako says as she waves him out the door.

It is easy to forget that it is cold outside after working a shift in the toasty shop but Midoriya doesn't mind. He takes in a deep breath of chilled air, letting it flush out the rich scent of coffee from his nose. Setting a brisk pace, he strolls onto campus and to his one class for the day.

"Tenya," Midoriya pants as they reach the doors to the gym. "I am not cut out to run like you do. Can't you take it easier on me?"

"You ask me that very question every single time we run together. The answer has not changed," Iida replies as he holds the door open for Izuku.

"I didn't peg you for a sadist," Midoriya says, smirking as he walks past Iida. He misses the blush that paints Tenya's cheeks.

Inside the gym is a comfortable temperature and the two men set to work on their gym regiments after some brief stretches. It is leg day for Iida and arm day for Izuku. They rarely ever actually worked out together, it is just nice to have a friendly face around in the gym. Which is exactly what Izuku sees as it appears over the bar in his hands. The man has red, spiky hair and a hard jawline.

"Hey bro, you know you should have a spotter when you lift, right?" The man grins at him in a manner that is almost contagious.

"Normally I have one, but not today so I figured I would live dangerously today," Izuku replies, joking to ease his nerves.

The other guy laughs, and it seems to ease his nerves further. "If you want, I could spot for you." Izuku opens his mouth to protest but the man shakes his head. "I'm resting right now so it really isn't a problem for me. Bros helping bros."

"Thank you, I appreciate it. I'm Izuku Midoriya. What's your name?"

"Eijirou Kirishima."

"Does it matter which name I call you by?" Izuku asks, starting a new rep.

"That is a very unusual question," Kirishima replies with raised eyebrows.

"I'm an unusual person," Izuku smiles his shy smile and laughs.

"I prefer Kirishima, but I'll answer to either one for you," he answers almost flirtatiously. He helps Izuku get the bar into resting position.

"I answer to both as well."

"At it again are we, 'Zuku?" The familiar voice of a rough-around-the-edges blonde tickles his eardrums. He looks at Bakugou with confusion. "Being a little siren, using your sweet words to pull people in only to trap them into your friendzone. For an introvert you sure are popular." Izuku sputters indignantly at his friend. "Now you have lured in Kirishima."

"You guys know each other? Manly," Kirishima says with a nod.

"Unfortunately, I do know the nerd. Save yourself while you can," Katsuki says to Kirishima.

"That ship has sailed, man. You are too late," Kirishima says.

"Well, now you can go down with it too." His last remark lingers for a moment as Katsuki walks away.

Midoriya looks up from his seat on the bench, "I'm not that bad, Eijirou. I swear it. Kacchan and I are childhood friends, so he is biased." The 1,000 watts smile that Kirishima receives has his heart protesting beats.

Izuku's week passes by in a routine: Quirffee Café from 5am to 1pm on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. He has two classes on Tuesday and two classes on Thursday. Wednesdays are reserved for laundry and sleep, at least as much as an insomniac can sleep. Gym and running are slipped in during free periods. Though he enjoys his week, Izuku lives for the weekend.

After jogging and working out at the gym, Midoriya slips into the shower and then slips on his work clothes, a t-shirt and jeans, and a hoodie. He gives Iida a parting wave and leaves. Thankfully for Izuku, Tenya is not a terribly nosey person and never bothers to ask where he slips away to all day and all night. He never once complains about the late nights that Izuku returns to the dorm either.

Flipping his hood up, Midoriya slips out of the Honors Dorms building and makes his way to his second job. It's a fifteen-minute walk to One for All Tattoos and Izuku enjoys it the entire time, using the silence to think about his setlist for his third job later that night.

"Good morning, Young Midoriya!" He is greeted loudly as he walks through the door.

"Good morning, Toshinori. What does the schedule look like today?" Izuku asks as he hangs his hoodie up behind the door that leads to his work studio.

"Business as usual, eh?" Toshinori asks rhetorically, glancing at the schedule in his hand. "Your first appointment should be here any moment. Why don't you get set up and I'll get her to sign all of the necessary documents? If you don't mind, I'd like to sit in on this one with you."

"You're the boss, I have no objections." Izuku shrugs as he goes to set up his equipment. Within fifteen minutes he is working his art into the skin of an anxious girl who insists that as long as she has her earbuds in that she would be fine. Izuku thinks back to the first time he walked into Quirffee Café after having answered the hiring ad on the student lounge bulletin board. Toshinori had been the one to do his interview. He had taught Izuku how to make a latte that day and asked Izuku to draw a picture in the foam. Not one to back down from a challenge, Izuku had managed a rather decent phoenix. It took a few weeks, but Toshi had asked him if maybe he was interested in becoming his apprentice at the tattoo shop. What his boss hadn't been aware of was that Izuku had already been tattooing, even if it was just himself. He hungered for knowledge and wanted to learn every art form he could get his hands on. Being a quick study is one of Izuku's many trademark abilities. Naturally, he jumped on Toshinori's offer and it turned out to be one of his favorite things. When he asked Toshinori to keep his secret about all things tattoo and DJ related, he was more than understanding and even lists him as Deku in the artist registry. Izuku isn't the only artist at the shop, but he is one that Toshinori takes the most interest in.

"Hey Toshinori?" Izuku asks without looking up from the fine lines he is creating.

"Yes?"

"What possessed you to open both a café and a tattoo shop?"

"Why do you draw and DJ?" Toshinori asks with a hint of a smile.

"Because art and music are two of the things I enjoy most," Izuku replies simply, looking up at Toshi briefly before dipping his needle into the ink.

"But why do you draw in latte foam and tattoo when you could easily just sketch in a book? Why DJ at a nightclub when you could easily just put in some earbuds and listen to music? Why expend the energy?"

Midoriya pouts his lips as he debates on his answer. "I like to share not only my enjoyment but my passion for the things I love and a small part of me relishes in the praise and attention I get from showing off my talents."

"Then you already know why I opened both a café and a tattoo shop," Toshinori replies simply, leaning back in his chair as if his work was done.

"I'm really debating on using some Red Hot Chili Peppers in my sets tonight. What do you think?" Izuku asks as he finishes out one of the butterfly wings.

"I think it is out of my expertise area, but if I know anything about you at all, it's that you work hard, and you know what flows so follow your gut, Midoriya."

Izuku works his way through his three appointments for the day and gets the okay to leave the shop for the night, followed by a request from Toshinori that Izuku send him a clip from his set. When he gets back to the dorm, it's empty which isn't unusual as Iida and Uraraka like to hang out with some of their other friends on Friday nights. He occasionally sees all of them at the nightclub. He gathers his things and his club backpack and travels the same route that he takes to reach One for All Tattoos, but he passes the shop and turns the corner, passing by the line of people that are slowly trickling into the building and goes around back.

"Hey Deku, how have you been? Classes going smoothly?" Camie asks as she lets him in.

"I love my classes, I've been working hard. How about you?"

"There is never any excitement back here," Camie replies with a shrug.

Izuku makes his way to the staff room where he changes into his sky-blue tank top with the All Might brand logo and black gym shorts. He slips his black AMU snapback hat on over his curly green hair and finishes off his look with a LED face mask that shows unique designs and faces throughout the night. He takes a couple of steadying breaths before he goes to the stage and hooks his equipment up next to Earphone Jack's stuff. He nods to her and she picks up the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, DJ DEKU!" She bows out and Deku raises his arms, palms up, and the biggest smile on his face as the bass drops.


	2. IzukuDeku

"DJ Deku will be back soon, welcome back to the stage, Earphone Jack!" EJ introduces herself as Deku grabs a bottle of water and starts out the back door for fresh air.

"That was an awesome set, Deku," Camie says, closing the door behind him.

"Thank you, Camie." He pulls his mask down as he walks over to the man sitting on a picnic table. "Hey Shouto, how are you?"

"I'm good, thank you. How are you, Midoriya?" Shouto's face is impassive but his words are warm.

"As always I am having the best time," Deku replies before gulping down some water.

"I enjoy seeing you all the time, but I especially like to see you on the weekends. It's funny to see you like this," Shouto says while gesturing to Izuku's person.

Deku cocks his head to the side and furrows his brow, "why?"

"Any other time you are dressed so reserved, long sleeves and jeans or shorts if you're working out. Yet on the weekends you are in the shortest sleeves possible, a hat to tame your curls, a mask to hide your freckles, and all of your tattoos on display. For most people, they either know Izuku or Deku so they can't see the clear line that separates the two, but I know Izuku and Deku, so I can see it." Shouto muses the thoughts more to himself than to Izuku.

"Hey Todoroki, would you be okay with doing before and after pictures of me? I guess it's more like Izuku and Deku pictures."

A smile creeps onto Shouto's features. "That will be cool to see. Why don't we do your Deku picture over by the back in the light? After your last set we can capture Izuku in the staff room," Todoroki says and poses Deku before snapping a few pictures.

Pulling his mask down again, Izuku asks, "would you have guessed in high school that we would be working in a nightclub on the weekends?"

"No, definitely not. I will admit that I like it though." He shrugs nonchalantly.

"Now I just need to you into One for All so I can ink you." Izuku laughs and playfully nudges Shouto as they walk in the door.

"You draw something for me, and I'll really consider it," Todoroki answers, pausing at the door that will take him to the bar.

"Are you serious, Shouto?" Izuku asks, emerald eyes going wide with surprise.

"Completely. Have a good set, Midoriya. I'll meet you after in the staff room." He nods and sets off through the door.

Izuku returns to the stage and patiently waits for EJ. "I'm almost to a good spot, Deku," she says, looking over her shoulder at him.

"EJ, I just want to say thank you. I really appreciate you doing all the mic talk and covering for me. I don't thank you enough," Deku says with a warm smile.

"It's no problem, I really enjoy it. I love that you and I rock this club together." EJ goes back to her music for a moment. "Alright, thirty seconds." Deku puts his mask over his face and steps out of the darkness and pulls up his next set. EJ grabs the mic again, "ten seconds 'til Deku!" The timer on the table is at ten seconds when he starts the intro to his next set, Dani California by Red Hot Chili Peppers. He starts the recorder on his phone at the same time, so he can send a clip to Toshi later. Meanwhile, EJ is leading the countdown, holding her fingers up for the number of seconds while the crowd screams along. At one, EJ bows out and the bpm starts to pick up for the remix.

Deku slips his headphones on and bobs with the music as his fingers travel around the mixer, tweaking this knob and adjusting that slider. Occasionally he makes his way to the soundboard. Deku works his equipment like it's an extension of himself. He jumps with the drops and claps with the climbs and from time to time EJ will join in, working with him to hype up the owners of the gyrating, sweaty bodies below them.

It seems like in the blink of an eye it is 1:55am and Deku starts his popular house mix of Closing Time by Semisonic. He watches as the last few remaining club goers leave and then shuts down the music altogether. He cleans up his multitude of empty water bottles and packs up his equipment. He changes his clothes in the staff bathroom and comes out to find Todoroki waiting on him.

"That was very good, Midoriya," Todoroki says with a nod.

"Thank you, Shouto. It is such a rush for me to DJ," he replies as he runs his fingers through his damp curls to dry them some more. Izuku had tried to rinse some of the sweat out of them before the Izuku picture.

"Let's do your picture over against that wall," Shouto says, pointing at a mostly empty wall. He poses Izuku who gives him the signature smile. "I'll send these to you later, okay?"

"I really can't thank you enough, Todoroki. You're the best." Izuku gives him a quick hug and waves goodbye, gathering his equipment on the way out the door.

"Does he make you thirsty too?" Jirou asks, sidling up to Todoroki.

"Parched," he replies, still staring at the now closed door.

Izuku makes it back to the Honors Dorm building in record time, trying to escape the biting cold of an early January morning. He manages to sit his stuff down quietly before realizing that Iida isn't even in the room. He pulls out his phone for the first time since his break with Todoroki.

**Iida (2:00am):** Midoriya, Uraraka got a little too drunk at Fire and Ice tonight.

**Iida (2:10am):** I don't actually know where Uraraka lives to take her there.

His phone rings with an incoming call from Iida. "Hello?"

"Midoriya," Iida says in a clipped tone. "Where does Uraraka live?"

"Bring her to our dorm, Iida. It is closer than her dorm and you won't have to worry about waking Tsuyu. Are you close? Do you need any assistance?" Izuku asks, noting the strain in Iida's voice.

"No, I can see our dorm building. I'll be there momentarily." Iida disconnects the call.

Izuku shakes his head and pulls the blankets back on his bed so Iida will have a place to put Ochako down. He gets his extra bedding out and makes himself a place to sleep on the floor beside his desk. He changes out his DJ clothes in his backpack and puts on his pajamas. There is a knock on the dorm door, and he opens it, directing Iida to his bed.

Once Ochako is as ready for bed as she can be, Izuku tucks her in and turns to Iida. "What was it this time? Frat party then club the free drinks?"

Iida nods tiredly, "you know her so well."

"I've known her for almost four years, I do know her well." Izuku smiles at the sleeping lump on his bed. Iida slips into his pajamas and into bed as Midoriya turns the light off. "Thank you for watching over her."

"Any time, Midoriya."

He sleeps a little more than he is used to, and his body feels a little off because of it. Who would have thought that six hours of sleep would make him feel so fatigued? After some stretching and a short jog to Quirffee and back has him feeling better. He leaves Iida's green tea with vanilla milk on his nightstand.

"Ochako, you need to wake up," Izuku says loudly as he shakes her shoulder. With some grumbling she sits up and accepts the hazelnut latte, Tylenol, and silent, judging looks from Izuku.

"What is it about my behavior now?"

"I don't care about the underage drinking, 'Chako. It's the taking drinks from strangers thing that bothers me. You never know what kind of motives are behind those drinks. It isn't fair to Iida either."

"I know, Izuku. I'm sorry," Ochako says quietly, looking down at her hands in her lap.

"Just make sure to apologize to Iida and thank him," Izuku says as he gathers his clothes for a shower.

"You guys have a good day today," Izuku says, as he gathers his backpack and equipment bag, leaving out the door before any questions could be hurled at him.

"Where does he go?" Uraraka asks Iida a few minutes later.

"I don't really know. I don't invade his privacy," Iida replies with a shrug.

"Good morning, Young Midoriya!"

"Hello, Toshinori," Izuku says, depositing his things in his studio.

"Your schedule is full today, yes, that includes your open time from noon to three. We had a guy call in after you left yesterday. When I told him that only my apprentice had an opening, he said he didn't care. He really favored the word 'manly' a lot. College kids," Toshinori says with a chuckle, shaking his head.

"What's his name?" Izuku asks as his stomach begins to sink.

"Kirishima Eijirou."

"I'll have to go full on Deku. I know him, we've met at the gym and he knows my friends," Izuku says, breaking into a sweat.

"Do you want me to take it? Or I can sit in on it." Toshinori looks at him worriedly.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure it'll be fine. Just let him know that I don't talk," Midoriya says with a shrug. Toshi doesn't look too sure but goes along with it anyways.

The first hour of work is free time for Izuku so he takes the opportunity to start sketching the tattoo design for Todoroki. At the thirty-minute mark Izuku shows it to Toshinori who approves of it. By 11:45am, Izuku has his hair pulled back and under his hat and a face mask on. When someone comes in the shop, Midoriya rolls his stool over to his open studio door to listen to the exchange. When Toshinori mentions that Deku doesn't say much, Kirishima just nods.

Kirishima had sent over a picture of the tattoo he wanted right after the phone call yesterday and Toshi had been nice and prepped it for Deku. It had to be a frat bet tattoo. As he waited for Toshinori to finish with the paperwork, Izuku checked his phone. He finally sent the clip he had recorded to Toshi.

**Shouto (11:17am):** [1 Image Attached]

Izuku opens the message and there are two photos side by side. The first is Izuku and the second is Deku. Todoroki wasn't lying about being two different people. A knock on the doorframe brings him out of his reverie.

"Deku answers yes and no questions and simple questions he can gesture out to you," Toshinori says, showing not only Kirishima but Bakugou into the room. Fantastic. "Whistle if you need me, Deku." Toshi takes his leave.

Deku smiles and waves at the two boys. He gestures at Kirishima and then at his own black t-shirt, motioning for him to take his shirt off. Kirishima complies and follows the directions to lay down. He shows the red head the stencil before putting it in place. The transfer is clean and Deku nods in approval. He shows Kirishima that he is going to start tattooing. As the needle touches his skin, Kirishima shudders involuntarily and Izuku thanks every god he knows about as he watches the muscles roll.

"Your tats are so manly," Kirishima says. "Did you get them done here?" Izuku shakes his head and then points to himself. "You did them yourself? How did you do the ones at the tops of your arms, that would be hard to see, right?" Deku points at a nearby mirror. "What?! No way, that is so cool." Deku nods his thanks.

As he works his way through Kirishima's tattoo, he keeps feeling Katsuki's eyes on him, burning a hole through him. He keeps himself calm and steady, rarely giving anything else a thought except his work at hand. "Aren't you the DJ over at Fire and Ice Nightclub?" Bakugou asks, still eyeing him. Deku nods excitedly with a smile. "I thought you looked familiar." That makes Izuku relax as he realizes that Katsuki wasn't onto his real identity. "Are you a mute?" Bakugou asks. Deku chuckles silently and shakes his head.

"Dude, DJ Deku is the silent DJ," Kirishima pipes up. It makes Izuku snort and he quickly snaps back to his quiet demeanor. This is going to be a long three hours.

Once the long three hours is over and Deku has soothed the new tattoo with some green soap, he stands the man up to have a look. There, in the middle of his lower back, shiny and new, is Kirishima's tramp stamp. It says 'Ass Brigade' with a heart on each side of the words.

"I didn't think you would take the bet AND follow through with it," Bakugou says, laughing until he is near tears.

"I am a man of my word." Kirishima shakes Deku's hand. "Will you be at the club tonight?" Another nod. "See you there. DJ and tattoo artist, that's so manly." Once the men leave, Izuku lets out a long breath.

"You did excellent, Young Midoriya."

"Thank you, Toshinori."

"Hey, Toshi. Yesterday I had a friend, the one I'm drawing that design for, take my picture dressed as Izuku and dressed as Deku." He shows the picture to Toshinori who looks at it with his eyebrows raised.

"That can't be the same person," Toshi jokes. "By the way, you're free to go and make magical music. That clip you sent me earlier is great. You did well using Red Hot Chili Peppers, just like I knew you would."

Toshinori had been like a father to Izuku since their first time ever meeting. It's just who he is as a person and Izuku welcome it, it's like a comfort that he enjoys, and it makes his heart swell. Izuku gathers his equipment and puts his hood up, gives a departing wave to his boss and walks around the corner to Fire and Ice.

"Evening, Deku," Camie greets him with a nod.

"Hello. How are things?"

"They never change."

The second Saturday of the month at Fire and Ice is a themed night. Blacklight Glow Party, as all of the flyers advertise it. In honor of the occasion, Deku puts on white gym shorts and a neon pink tank top with black lettering that states 'King DJ Deku'. It was a gift from Shouto, and it is his favorite article of clothing. He puts on his AMU hat and mask and makes his way to the stage.

"EJ, did you do something different with your music? The style is less house mix." Deku asks as he sets up.

"It is glow night, Deku. People are going to want less house mix and plenty of trap with lots of bpm."

"I can't argue there. Guess it's good that I am coming out strong then," Deku replies, queuing up his first setlist.

"Let's do this," EJ says with a smile. Deku starts his first remix. 'Five, four, three, two, one.' "DJ DEKU!" EJ yells into the mic and the crowd cheers. 'Five, four, three, two, one. Level up, level up'.

Deku puts his headphones on, bouncing lightly as he adjusts a few dials. Satisfied with his work, he throws his hands up and rocks with the music. He scans the crowd and picks out Ochako and Tsuyu in the crowd. He searches around again and finds Bakugou and Kirishima with a group of guys at a table not too far away from him. As he shifts into his Eminem mix, he sees Kirishima pointing at him and showing off his new tramp stamp. They lock eyes for a moment and Deku points at him, gives him a thumbs up, and a nod which Kirishima returns.

"EJ, would you cover me for a little bit of extra time? I'd like to dance for a moment."

"I've got you, Deku," EJ says excitedly, practically shoving Deku to the stairs. He had learned to stay on the edge of the dance floor and never linger too long in one place. He bumps and grinds with the bodies around him, making a lap around the mass of people.

"Deku!" Izuku had almost made it back to the stairs when he hears his name. He turns to see Kirishima smiling at him. "Your music is great; your tats are great. Is there anything about you that isn't great?" Izuku shrugs, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "No need to be humble, Deku."

Izuku isn't sure if it's the music, the adrenaline, or both but he grabs Kirishima's shirt and pulls him close. "Can you keep a secret?" He looks surprised, but nods. "I'm not that bad, Eijirou. I swear it." Izuku watches the confusion on Eijirou's face turn to clarity before he adds, "Kacchan doesn't know, so don't tell." Kirishima gives an affirmative nod, still looking stunned as Deku goes back to the stage to gulp down some water and queue up his next set.

"Goodnight, Deku," Camie says as he squeezes past her with his gear.

"Be safe, Camie," Izuku says, starting a brisk pace to his dorm. When he turns the corner, he walks smack into a hard body. Looking up, he sees it's Kirishima. "I'm sorry."

"It's not a big deal. Do you want some help?" He offers his hand to take one of Izuku's duffels.

"Are you sure it isn't a burden on you?" Izuku asks nervously.

"I don't mind, bro!" Kirishima takes the bag from Midoriya and shoulders it. He turns to an unfamiliar blonde beside him. "I'll meet you back at the dorms, Kaminari."

"You stay in a dorm? I had you figured as a frat guy," Izuku admits, pulling his hood down and ruffling his curls.

"Why is that?" Kirishima looks mildly surprised.

"Just your personality is all. I almost thought the tramp stamp was a frat thing until I saw Kacchan with you. Never make bets with him. He won't make one unless he is absolutely sure he will win. It will save you time and money if you just agree with him," Izuku says with a half-smile.

"I can't control my curiosity anymore. If Bakugou is your childhood friend, then why doesn't he know about you being a DJ or a tattoo artist? What's the deal man?"

Izuku looks around for a moment to make sure they are going in the right direction. "It isn't just Kacchan that doesn't know. You're the fourth person, besides club staff, who knows, excluding my mom. In high school, I had two friends. And Kacchan, but that's another story. I wasn't well liked, and I often got bullied. So, I focused my energy into studying, art, and eventually music. My mom was all for it, of course. I also started working out to deter the bullies, Kacchan included. When I came to AM University, I got my job at Quirffee and Toshi also owns All for One Tattoos and offered me my apprenticeship. I got in at Fire and Ice because my friend from high school, Shouto, discovered my secret. His sister owns the nightclub and hired me on when she heard some of my samples. Now you are all caught up," Izuku finishes, halting his rambling.

"That is one wild story dude," Kirishima says thoughtfully. "You must be busy all the time."

"Not really," Izuku answers simply. "So, if you aren't some frat jock, what are you majoring in?"

"Sports medicine. I was a jock at one point, but I busted up my knee rather badly. Now I want to treat people with sports related injuries and maybe find a way to help people keep living their dreams." Kirishima's voice is bittersweet and it pulls at Izuku's heartstrings. "Whoa, is this where you stay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Honors dorms," Izuku says dumbly. He takes his duffel back from Eijirou.

"I guess all that studying really paid off," Kirishima says with a smile.

"Eijirou, if you're up for it sometime, I'd like to hang out with you. You are really cool," Izuku says, showing his usual smile.

"That would be cool with me, man!" Kirishima replies, accepting Izuku's card that has his cell number scribbled on it.

"Thanks for all of your help." Izuku waves and goes into his building. Once he gets to his room, he has never been more thrilled to see his bed. He drops his things by the door, kicks off his shoes, and climbs in. He drops into sleep listening to Iida's soft snores and feeling completely satisfied with his life.


	3. Sunday Friend Funday

The thing about having insomnia is that the owner of such a delightful sleeping disorder gets to have extra time awake. For Izuku, it started part way into the first year of high school. His mother, of course, got him an appointment to see a doctor as quickly as possible. He gave the sleeping medications a fair try but they just wouldn't put him to sleep. After a few more appointments and medication adjustments, the doctor concluded that Izuku's metabolism was burning off the medicine faster than it could work. Not long after that, Izuku just relinquished himself to his sleepless fate.

University does not calm the beast either. He really doesn't mind it, it means that he has extra time to study and get his work done. Sure, he goes through random bouts of sleepiness and he gets headaches more than he cares to mention, but he could suffer through them for some extra time. Occasionally his insomnia will lessen, but he can also get a good night's sleep if he is too exhausted. That is what Sundays are for and Sleeping Beauty is dozing peacefully, a full eight hours of rest under his eyelids.

"Midoriya. Hey, Midoriya?" He can hear Iida's voice and feel his shoulder get poked, he just isn't sure if he wants to surface from the dark haze. After a moment of debating his options, Izuku opens his eyes. "You're awake, finally," Iida says, sounding relieved.

"Unfortunately, yes. What time is it?" He rubs his eyes, noting the sunlight streaming into the dorm window.

"10:12am. You missed our morning run and gym time. I got worried that you would miss lunch," Iida says, reverting back to his usual self.

Izuku yawns and stretches his back before getting up. "I'll take a shower and get ready. Thank you for letting me sleep in.

The hot water is refreshing on his skin and wakes him up fully. Sunday is friend's day for Izuku and his friends. Normally it is kicked off with morning exercise, but that is skipped for today, so he gets to move over to the next event. Roommate Lunch Date. Once the dorm rules were set between he and Iida, they were printed up and stuck on the wall beside the door. Everything was fine for the first two weeks, but then Izuku felt like it was weird to have a roommate he knew nothing about. On the second Sunday of that semester they had lunch together to learn about each other and they devoted another lunch the following Sunday and the next Sunday. Before long, lunch was not for getting to know each other as much as it was for talking about their week. Izuku came into their dorm one day to see that Iida had added "Roommate Lunch Date on Sunday" to the bottom of the rules and signed it. He followed suit and signed it next to Iida's name, it still hangs on the wall next to the door.

Izuku works a little harder than usual to get his curls to look decent even though he knows they will be a mess again by the end of lunch. Back in the dorm, he puts on his favorite red shoes. "Do you know where you want to eat lunch today, Tenya?"

"What about that little restaurant that Uraraka was telling us about the other morning? She said that she and Asui really enjoyed it," Iida suggests, putting his coat on.

"Isn't that the one around the corner from the new card shop?" Izuku asks, wiggling his eyebrows.

"I do indeed have ulterior motives for lunch," Iida admits with a smile.

"I like your motives. Let's get some food."

The atmosphere of the restaurant is warm and the grilled cheese with clear soup that Midoriya gets is delicious. "Hey, um, Tenya? You know salad is going to taste pretty much the same everywhere you go, right?" Izuku asks, stifling a giggle with a bite of sandwich.

"That is incorrect, Midoriya. You can always tell if a salad is good by how crisp the vegetables are," Iida begins his ten-minute spiel about salads and Izuku keeps his amused smile the entire time. He got Tenya to do the salad speech at least once a month. "Now, Midoriya, I have a question for you. I don't normally invade your privacy, but I just need to ask." Tenya looks a little comfortable.

"Call me Izuku."

"What? Why? Is that really necessary or appropriate?"

Izuku nods, saying, "if you can invade my privacy then you can call me Izuku at least once."

"You, uh, have a fair point," Iida says before clearing his throat and licking his lips. "Where do you go when you are gone all day Friday and Saturday, Izuku?" Iida and Midoriya both shiver involuntarily at Izuku's name.

"I have a second job doing art," Izuku says more coolly than he feels.

"Oh, well uh, I um," Iida says as he struggles to find the right words.

"It's fine, I didn't really think it was important to mention since it's just on the weekends. It never crossed my mind how strange it must look for me to disappear for an entire day and tiptoe back in only to do it all over again." Lying to Tenya makes guilt settle in Izuku's stomach. If he was being honest with himself, he kind of liked keeping his weekend hobbies to himself. No one to bug him about them, he could do his work at his own pace. A small part of him wanted his friends to know so he didn't have to lie like he is doing to Iida right now. What would be the harm in telling him? He told Kirishima after all and he hardly knows the guy. Iida has to know, he sees Izuku working on mixes in the dorm room for goodness sake. "Um, Tenya?"

"Yes, Midoriya?"

"What do you think about me mixing music in the dorm room?" Izuku fiddles nervously with the hem of his shirt.

"I don't really mind it. I think it's smart how you make a table out of our mini refrigerators. It is both space and cost efficient." Iida sets Izuku with a stare that he swears let's Iida look into his soul. "I go to Fire and Ice on Fridays just to listen to what you've been working on."

Everything in Izuku short circuits for a moment before every never in his body feels like a live wire. "Who else knows?"

"Just me."

"What gave it away?"

"When I first started going with Uraraka, I didn't notice. It's when I started giving you song suggestions in the dorm that the DJ would magically play every weekend that it just seemed a little strange to me. Not to mention you run out the door with your equipment every weekend. Iida pauses and blushes bright red all the way to the tips of his ears. "I snooped in your closet and found your DJ clothes which confirmed my suspicions. I know that it is unforgivable to enter your personal space so much, but I hope you can try to forgive me for such a trespass." Iida bows awkwardly in his chair and avoids eye contact with Izuku.

He can't really be sure as to why, but Izuku finds himself genuinely giggling at Iida. Maybe it's the way he seems so uneasy about simply looking through his clothes or the fact that Tenya was actually nosey enough to do it. "I'll tell you this, if you keep quiet about it then I will forgive you for snooping through my things. And just to clarify so you don't think I'm lying to you, I really do have a second job doing art. I'm a tattoo apprentice under Toshinori."

"And so, we come full circle," Iida says with a nod. They finish lunch in a comfortable silence before paying and going to the nearby card shop.

"Do you have anything in mind, Midoriya?" Iida asks as his gaze travels over the red section of cards below the glass.

"I want to find something to boost my MinoDragon and Enrage decks. I need to find better combinations, or I'll never beat Kacchan." Izuku begins muttering to himself as he looks through the cards in the cases.

"Don't forget about Uraraka's Infect deck. It is difficult to keep up with her," Iida huffs more to himself than Midoriya.

"I set up my sideboard with some burn cards, I think that is the best option for beating Ochako's deck. If you Kacchan's Eldrazi Tron deck is bad, I seem to struggle with Todoroki's Red-White Aggro deck." Izuku looks miffed for a moment.

"To be fair, you aren't an aggressive player. Your decks are built well, but you don't use them to their full potential." Leave it to Iida to be that honest.

"Tenya, we can play a warm up game on a couple of the washers. We have time before the spin cycle starts and shakes our cards off," Izuku says excitedly. Sunday is just Friend Funday, it is also laundry day. "Let's test out our new cards before game night tonight." Iida complies and proceeds to beat him by turn seven. "Damn goblins," Izuku mutters as he puts his cards back in his deck box and his dice follow.

After the laundry is done, both men hang their clothes up and gather everything for game night, including the hordes of snacks and drinks they had picked up on the way home from the card shop. The common room area on the seventh floor or the Honors Dorm building is usually quiet and empty. There are no dorm rooms, it's just a vast sitting area with some study nooks and a kitchen. Most of the Honors students in the building know that Sundays are game night there and they either avoid it and study elsewhere or they sit nearby and watch the sometimes-rowdy group of friends play cards. Anyone nearby always gets offered a slice of pizza and soda too. There are four, square high-top tables in the communal area and all of them get claimed by Iida and Izuku who push them together for the games. The two tables on the ends are reserved for snacks and drinks. What started as Izuku and Uraraka playing Magic the Gathering while Todoroki and Iida watched, became teaching the two men. Then Ochako taught Asui and not to be outdone, Bakugou learned on his own and joined in too after he caught wind of game night.

"Hey Nerd and…" Bakugou eyes Iida for a moment, "Four Eyes. We have some extra friends showing up tonight." Even though he looks annoyed, Katsuki's eyes and tone of voice show that he is pleased. "Now you will have an even bigger audience to lose in front of," he laughs, sitting down and beginning to mana weave and shuffle his deck.

"Hey Izuku," Uraraka says, stepping out of the elevator with Asui, both of their arms are laden with boxes of pizza. He always ordered way too much pizza but if there were going to be extra people then it was a good call. Iida and Izuku both help with the boxes and set up the snack table to be a functional buffet on each end. They are storing the drinks in the communal fridge when the elevator announces the arrival of Todoroki. With all of the players present, they pair up for their individuals' games first, Iida (Goblins) versus Izuku (Enrage), Bakugou (Eldrazi Tron) versus Asui (Elves), and Ochako (Infect) versus Todoroki8 (R-W Aggro). As everyone is shuffling and drawing their hands, a group of people arrive on the seventh floor.

"Hey, hey bros and ladies!" Kirishima says, leading everyone else over to the tables.

"About time you guys show up. Game night starts at 5pm," Bakugou says, still eyeing his freshly drawn hand. Everyone else that the tables waves.

"Sit wherever you want," Izuku gestures around with his free hand. "Help yourself to food, and there are drinks in the fridge."

They start their games as the Kirishima group gets what they want and chooses their seats. Izuku keeps throwing burn cards at Iida's goblins in hope that he can get enough mana onto the battlefield to bring out at least one creature. His plan of play has Iida furrowing his brow in frustration. Next to Izuku, Todoroki is muttering furiously under his breath as Uraraka sits there with a smug smile on her lips. At the far end of the table, Asui and Bakugou are already finished with their first game and they are eating pizza. In the end, Iida bests Izuku and Uraraka beats Todoroki.

"Okay, now that we are all stuffing our faces, everyone introduce yourselves to everyone," Bakugou says.

"Kirishima Eijirou," Kirishima says from his seat next to Bakugou.

"Ashido Mina," the girl with curly pink hair says from her spot next to Kirishima.

"Sero Hanta," the guy with black hair seated beside Asui announces.

"Yaoyorozu Momo," the soft-spoken girl beside Iida says.

"Jirou Kyouka," EJ says with a wave from her seat beside Midoriya.

"Kaminari Denki," a blonde man says from the other side of Jirou. Izuku recognizes him from the nightclub the previous evening.

"You all know me already," Bakugou states. "Next."

"I'm Uraraka Ochako!" She announces happily.

"Iida Tenya," he says in his most professional manner.

"Asui Tsuyu," she introduces herself with a small bow.

"Todoroki Shouto," he deadpans.

"And I'm Midoriya Izuku," he says before flashing a bright smile.

"But he answers to either name," Kirishima adds with a small laugh and Izuku nods vigorously.

Once the pizza is devoured, everyone returns to the games at hand. Uraraka cleans the table with Todoroki and Bakugou does the same with Asui. The final game between Izuku and Iida has everyone cheering for one or the other. Each had already won a game, so this match would determine the winner. Ultimately, Izuku came out victorious with only a two showing on his spin down die.

"Awesome job, Deku," EJ whispers to him as the losers switch to new seats.

"Thank you, EJ," he whispers back. "So how do you know everyone?" He asks at normal volume as he shuffles his deck. Asui sits down in from of him.

"I room with Ashido. She brought me into the group," Jirou says proudly.

"Heck yeah I did!" Ashido exclaims from the other end of the table.

"I dorm with Kirishima," Kaminari adds. "So, I meet everyone he knows."

"I am a theater major with Kaminari," Sero pitches in.

"And I'm good friends with Jirou. We met in middle school," Yaoyorozu says.

"Todoroki, Uraraka, and I became friends in high school and Iida is my roommate. I've known Kacchan since we were toddlers, and Asui rooms with Ochako," Deku explains quickly.

"Kacchan?" Ashido pipes up at Katsuki's nickname.

"Don't even dream of calling me that name, Pinky," Katsuki snaps at her. "That is reserved only for that loser down there."

"You are no fun," she pouts.

In the end, Izuku defeats Asui, Iida and Todoroki fight it out but Iida wins, and Bakugou takes down Uraraka. Izuku writes down all of the wins and losses in his pocket notebook. To wrap up game night, all six of them play one big game and it is a free for all. Everyone gangs up to take down Uraraka except for Bakugou. Ochako manages to take out Asui before she goes down. While Iida tries to exact revenge on Todoroki, Izuku takes the open opportunity to build his mana pool and his army. Tenya takes out Shouto and Izuku takes out Iida. The war rages between Midoriya and Katsuki.

"Blue-Eyes White Dragon," Bakugou yells as he puts a card down.

"Wrong game, Kacchan." Deku shakes his head.

"Oh right, I choose you, Charizard!" He yells, putting another card down.

"Kacchan!" Izuku exclaims followed by his chiming laughter. With a few taps of his cards, Katsuki defeats Izuku. "Ugh, of course." He rolls his eyes as he packs his cards back into their box.

"You can't be surprised, I always come out on top," Katsuki says, smirking as he pulls at Izuku's curls.

"Oh honey, I am sure you do," Izuku replies, leaning an elbow on the table and jutting his hip out. He grabs Katsuki's wrist and gives him a wink before letting go and walking away, laughing. Bakugou looks stunned and his face flushes pink as he watches Izuku's retreating back.

They all return the common area to its original state before saying their goodbyes and parting ways.

Izuku adds the finishing touches to his psychology homework for class the next day and gets his pajamas.

"You don't have to run to the bathroom to get changed now. I know your secret," Iida says, putting on his own night clothes.

"Oh, yeah, right. That's actually convenient." Izuku starts to change out of his day clothes.

"Can I see some of your tattoos? Up close, I mean," Iida asks, eyeing Izuku's shirtless torso.

"I was wondering when you would ask that," Izuku says, walking into the light so Tenya could better see all of them.

"Do any of them have stories to them?"

"All of them," he answers. "We will start with this one." He points to the top of his right arm.


	4. Dinner with Katsuki

"You can touch them if you want to, Tenya. I really don't mind," Izuku says, still pointing at some distorted skin at the top of his right bicep. "In fact, you'll need to touch it to know it's there. It is a blacklight tattoo." Iida's fingers brush over Izuku's skin lightly. "Under the blacklight like at glow party night, you can see it is a green bunny. My mom and some of my friends would, and sometimes still do, tell me that I'm cute and energetic like a bunny. I'm almost positive a bunny would be my patronus," Izuku says, laughing lightly.

"That ink is a neat concept," Iida supplies as he looks over it again.

"It goes with this tattoo." Izuku points to his left bicep. There, clearly visible, is another green bunny and it looks as if a five-year-old drew it and it is shaded in the same manner too. Below it in near, black swooping letters is a quote: "Every artist was first an amateur." -R.W. Emerson. "That green bunny is the first one I ever drew, and mom had kept it. It helps me to remember to stay humble and work hard. I knew from the time I was able to pick up a crayon that I wanted to be an artist."

"What drives you to be an artist?" Iida asks as he returns his gaze to Midoriya's face.

"When you see a photograph, you can look at it and then the actual scene or object that is depicted in the photo and they look nearly identical, shadows may be different and colors more vivid, but the base concept is the same. Have an artist paint the same scene or object and you will see it through their eyes rather than your own. Something that seems like a small detail that you missed when looking at the picture earlier gets your attention in the painting. Why is that?" Izuku rambles on for a moment before asking Iida the question.

"I'm not really sure," Iida answers with a look of contemplation.

"Because what you saw as a small detail, the artist saw as a focal point and brought it forward to get your attention on it," Izuku answers. "We all see things differently and I want to share my own perspective with people."

"I see, I never really thought of it like that." Iida nods thoughtfully. "What is this tattoo for?" He points at Izuku's right, upper arm.

"That is one of my most important tattoos," he says more solemnly. The one in question is that of a blue park bench. It is empty with the exception of a pair of red shoes sitting on one side and a white daisy sitting on the other. Edges of grass and pavement taper off around the legs of the bench. "When I was a kid, I got bullied a lot." Izuku's voice is soft and bittersweet. "My parents tried everything short of homeschooling me to get it to stop, but it never did. On days when it was particularly bad, my dad would take me to get ice cream and we would sit on the blue park bench near my house. I would tell him what the bullies had said to me." Izuku has silent tears streaming down his face as he remembers the days spent talking to his father. Iida takes notice and guides them to the edge of Izuku's bed to sit down. Tenya rubs small circles into Midoriya's back. "Dad would tell me all of the reasons why those kids were wrong. He would take time out of his terribly busy schedule to sit with me when it mattered the most. On the way to the park bench I always picked him a daisy." Izuku wipes away his tears and smiles. "My mom says I work just as hard as dad did." The smile is erased again. "He died in a car accident unfortunately. I was ten years old."

"I'm really sorry, Midoriya," Iida whispers.

Izuku smiles again. "Don't worry about it, life goes on. Can we finish the tattoo talk at a later time? I'm actually tired for once," Izuku says with a chuckle and Iida nods. They both retire to their beds and rather quickly, Izuku slips into sleep.

"You need to have no less than four and no more than twelve. As long as the basic guidelines in your syllabus are met then you are free to get as creative as you please. Do remember the principles of chapter 3 though. Hint, hint," Professor Kayama says as she glances around at the class. She pushes her glasses up her nose and jingles the bracelets on her wrists as she looks over her class notes. "If you choose to do four friends then I expect no smaller than an eight inch by ten-inch collage and the size should go up for every two friends after that. Twelve friends should be about the size of a poster. Also, I said make sure that whatever your friend is doing in the picture is their favorite thing to do. I want honesty. Some students really do that, which is good and will earn you extra points, I have even seen some X-rated photos. Those are okay too. We are only human after all." Professor Kayama smirks, "you have three weeks to get it done, class dismissed."

Izuku packs up everything except his notebook that he is writing in. The assignment is simple enough, make a collage of photos (taken by you) of your friends doing one their favorite things. Izuku could easily get the minimum of four friends so he would start there and add as he went. He jotted down a quick list of candidates before hurrying off to his Anatomy and Physiology class.

"Hey Iida, what's your favorite thing to do?" Izuku asks over dinner that night.

"Hmm, I suppose I like to run. Why?"

"My Applied Photography professor gave us an assignment to photograph our friends while they do their favorite thing. May I photograph you running tomorrow?" Izuku asks before he blows on his udon noodles.

"I don't mind if you do, but will you be able to get a good shot with me moving so quickly?"

"I have settings for that," Midoriya says with a laugh. "There is something else." He explains the rest of his plan for the project and Iida agrees that it is a clever idea.

**Ochako (8:11pm):** I have a project for Applied Photography where I have to photograph my friends doing their favorite things. Would you be willing to let me photograph you?

Izuku copies the text and sends it to Shouto and Kacchan separately as well. Putting it in a group would just be confusing and with Kacchan being a private person, he may not agree if anyone else knows.

**Shouto (8:23pm):** I don't mind, you know I'll always help you out. My favorite thing to do right now is bartending. I'm sure Fuyumi wouldn't mind us visiting during the slower hours.

**Izuku (8:24pm):** Thank you so much, Shouto! We can work out the day the next time I see you.

**Shouto (8:27pm):** Sure thing, Midoriya.

Izuku didn't have to wait long for another reply.

**Kacchan (8:29pm):** Why would I let you take photos of me, Nerd? Is it going to give you some kind of sick satisfaction?

**Izuku (8:31pm):** KACCHAN! NO! It's just that you are one of my best friends. I want you to participate. It's okay if you're too nervous. I won't be mad.

**Kacchan (8:32pm):** I'm not nervous, how dare you think I would be nervous when it involves you and your stupidly weird hobbies?! Fine, I'll do it and prove you wrong.

**Izuku (8:33pm):** Thanks, Kacchan! What's your favorite thing to do?

**Kacchan (8:35pm):** Cooking. I'll cook for you on Monday after your last class and you can get your stupid pictures, okay?

**Izuku (8:36pm):** Sounds like a date!

**Kacchan (8:36pm):** HAH?!

**Izuku (8:37pm):** Not like a date, date! Just, you know, thanks in advance, for dinner…

**Kacchan (8:38pm):** Whatever, Nerd.

This project was really going to fill up his schedule for the next couple of weeks. At least he could get Iida's completed tomorrow since Wednesday was a free day for Izuku. He would just have to juggle making the collage while he worked on some of his mixes for the weekend.

**Ochako (9:02pm):** Of course! I would love to be involved in your project! My favorite thing right now is working at Quirffee. Maybe we could do it at work on Thursday? Yagi probably won't mind.

**Izuku (9:04pm):** Thank you, Ochako! Thursday will be perfect, wear your best apron since you smile is already incredible.

**Ochako (9:05pm):** asjkdfggjhkjljie

Midoriya simply laughs before returning to his anatomy and physiology homework, the earlier he got his work out of the way, the earlier he could work on his sketches and music. Thankfully, Tenya liked to sleep with ear plugs and an eye mask so he didn't have to worry about disturbing his roommate.

The track outside of the gym was empty and quiet with the exception of Tenya and his bounding footfalls on the pavement and Midoriya with the clicks and shutters of his Nikon camera. He had instructed Iida to just run like he normally would any other day. Izuku would quickly learn that not everyone acted as natural as Tenya.

"Ochako, you are too stiff, relax. Just work like you normally would," Izuku says again. It had to be the tenth time he had told her that.

"I'm trying, Izuku. I just don't want to look weird," she says as she starts making a hot chocolate for Shouto. He lowers his camera and Ochako visibly relaxes.

"I won't let you look weird." As Uraraka hands over the cup to Shouto, Izuku starts to snap candid photos of her. He is sure there is something in there he can work with. Izuku had told her the second part of his plan for his project so he takes off his camera and hands it to her.

"Midoriya, do you think you could get away from work early tomorrow or Saturday? Fuyumi said any time before 9pm would be great for pictures at the bar," Shouto adds, sipping from his cup.

Izuku pauses for a moment, all too aware of Ochako's gaze burning into his back. "Yeah, I'm sure I can make an escape from artwork," Izuku says through tight lips.

"See you then. Goodbye, Uraraka," Shouto says lazily as he leaves.

"I didn't know you had another job," she says, passing his camera back to him.

"Oh, well uh, I decided to pick up some art commissions for extra money," Izuku replies.

After a brief pause, Ochako smiles, "that's a really smart idea, Izuku! That's an effective way to get your name out there for potential customers." Midoriya nods in agreement, ignoring the guilty pang in his stomach.

"Good morning, Young Midoriya!"

"Good morning, Toshinori. What does my schedule look like today?" Deku puts his equipment in his work space.

"You only have one appointment today at 1pm. Enjoy the peace we have in January because from the middle of February to the start of May we will constantly be booked," Toshinori says.

"Can I leave out of here early tonight then? I have this photography project to do and some of the photos need to be taken over at Fire and Ice before it fills up with people." Izuku explains as Toshi nods.

"That shouldn't be a problem," he finally says.

"Could I add you to the project?" Midoriya explains the project to Toshinori.

"Yes, but I want to add a twist to the picture." He explains his idea and Izuku is more than happy to comply.

"Hey Shinsou, could you watch the front for a little while?"

"Of course, sir," he replies tiredly, taking up Toshinori's now vacant seat.

"Let's go do this, Midoriya." Toshi leads the way to his work space.

With the exception of Uraraka, all of his models so far have acted natural. Shouto is naturally stiff and professional as he pours drinks and cleans glasses, precise and fluid in his movements. It almost seems as if he doesn't pay any mind to Izuku at all and he takes a moment to really look at Shouto. His bi-colored hair always falls so perfectly, his heterochromatic eyes give away what he is really thinking or feeling, and he rarely ever smiles. Izuku's eyes follow the curve of Todoroki's shoulder and he watches the way the merlot colored dress shirt hugs his arms. The black pinstripe vest accentuates his chest and waistline. The rest of him disappears behind the bar.

"Is there something you need?"

The sound of Shouto's voice pulls Izuku out of his daze. "What?"

"You're staring at me. Is something not to your liking?" Shouto asks.

"No, no, everything is very much to my liking," Izuku says, blushing.

"I'm glad to hear that," Shouto says with a hint of amusement and the tiniest of smiles. "My turn?" Izuku hands over his camera and picks up the soda that Shouto has poured him.

After a few sips, he turns to look at the DJ stage above the dance floor. He sees EJ bouncing to the music she is making. "I wonder if EJ would like to be a part of the project," Izuku says to Shouto.

"Doesn't hurt to ask," he says, passing the camera back to Midoriya.

"Thank you, Shouto." Todoroki nods as Izuku gets up and makes his way to the stage.

"Hey, Deku, what's up?" EJ asks as he approaches, eyeing the camera in his hands.

"I have a project for my Applied Photography class," Izuku says, gesturing at the camera.

"The friend collages?" Jirou asks.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"I'm in Kayama's morning class," Jirou answers.

"Would you like to help me out with mine?" Izuku asks, feeling oddly dumb at how the question comes out.

"Will you help me with mine?"

"Of course, I will!" Izuku answers excitedly.

"Let's rock this project and then this club!" EJ high fives Midoriya before going back to her music.

Before work on Saturday, Izuku meets up with Kirishima at the gym for his friend collage picture and a quick workout.

"Your form is impeccable, Eijirou," Izuku says as he watches the redhead bench press his first repetition.

"Thanks man, I love coming to the gym," Kirishima says with a half-smile.

"I didn't know if Kacchan told you or not, but the invitation for Sunday night game night is extended to you and your friends every Sunday until, well, whenever we quit, I guess," Midoriya says with a small, nervous laugh.

"No, Bakugou did not mention it. Are you sure your group doesn't mind?" Eijirou asks, putting the bar into resting position.

"Yes, absolutely. Everyone liked having all of you around. Asui rejoiced that we didn't have extra pizza to push on her to take home."

Kirishima laughs at that. "Some of them were talking about learning how to play that game." He starts a new rep. "That includes me."

"I can teach all of you, we always talk about adding new people. We could have more games of Two-Headed Giant." Midoriya says the last part more to himself than to Kirishima.

"Sounds like a plan. We will be there tomorrow then. Do you need us to bring anything?"

"Just yourselves. Unless you want a snack that is different from what is supplied." Izuku checks his phone and jumps up quickly. "I've got to get to work. See you tomorrow, Eijirou!"

"Do you think this is a good shirt for dinner with Kacchan? I don't want to accidentally dip a sleeve in food," Izuku explains to Iida as he tugs on his black button up.

"I think it looks fine," Iida says, not bothering to glance up from his textbook.

Shaking his head, Izuku leaves his dorm room and goes to the elevator. Once inside, he pushes floor seven and reaches his destination quickly. He stumbles out of the elevator and looks around for a moment, the common area is devoid of people except for himself and Katsuki who is already prepping food at the counter in the communal kitchen. The music coming from his phone does not his personality in the slightest, just another one of Kacchan's surprising quirks. He uses the soft alternative rock music to mask the shutter of his camera as he takes a few shots of his friend. He adjusts the sharpness and lighting settings to his liking and tries again. It looks much better.

"Hey Kacchan," Izuku says, announcing his presence in case the elevator didn't.

"About time you showed up," Bakugou says, turning to look at Izuku. Katsuki is wearing an orange apron with green pockets. "Get to taking pictures." Izuku does as he is told. He takes note in the lack of tension in Katsuki's face and shoulders while he is cooking.

"I think that should do it," Izuku says, sitting his camera on the island.

"Good, come here and stir this soup." Katsuki indicates to a pot on the back burner. Izuku complies and starts stirring the soup. "You are going to either to get your sleeve in the soup or sweat to death," Bakugou says, irritation tinging his voice. "Roll them up."

"Oh, I'll be fine, Kacchan, really. You won't have sleeve soup." Izuku laughs nervously.

Katsuki lightly presses himself against Izuku's back, trapping the shorter man between his body and the stove. Katsuki reaches for Izuku's sleeves. "I told you to roll them up, I'm the chef here." He ignores Midoriya's protests as he nimbly unbuttons the sleeves and rolls them up to Izuku's elbows neatly. "Is that better?"

"Y-yes, Kacchan. Thank you." He avoids looking at Katsuki as he stirs. A finger on his arm makes him jump and he looks up at Kacchan questioningly.

"I miss your old man. He was always nice to me, like a second dad. I used to get jealous watching you sit on that bench and eat ice cream with him." Katsuki lets his finger slide off of the tattoo and goes back to tending the food.

"He used to sit with me there because I was upset about being bullied. He would comfort me with words and ice cream. I never told him some of my misery was from you. He liked you." Izuku's tone is back to bittersweet.

"I was a real dick to you, huh?" Katsuki says, plating some of the food.

"I've long since forgiven you. You aren't the same person you used to be," Izuku says nonchalantly.

"I'm still sorry," Kacchan whispers.

"And I still forgive you," he replies with a smile.

They finish cooking and quickly wash the dishes before sitting down to eat.

"Where did you get your tattoos?" Katsuki asks, taking a bite of katsudon.

"Where did you learn to cook?"

"I asked first."

"I did some of them and Yagi did a couple of them. What about you?" Izuku answers sheepishly.

"I called your mom for her katsudon recipe and when I told her I was making it for you she was more than willing to help me out," Kacchan answers with an amused smile.

"I thought this tasted familiar." Izuku returns the smile. "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah."

They eat in a comfortable silence and work together to clean up the kitchen. "Hey Nerd, Can I see all of your tattoos?"

"Sure Kacchan," Izuku says as his ears grow hot. He clumsily undoes the buttons on his shirt and slips it off.

Bakugou lets his eyes drift over Midoriya's bare arms and torso, biting his cheek. "I remember this bunny," Katsuki says, pointing to his left bicep. "You showed everyone that picture repeatedly. You would tell them it was a bunny and it came out so little kid sounding because you had a lisp." He laughs. "Is the briefcase because of your mom?"

Izuku looks down at his right arm below the bench. It's a black briefcase with a couple of scrolls and an inkwell and quill tastefully scattered around it. "Yeah, she is a great lawyer."

"She is stubborn. What about your left forearm? What is that?"

"It's a grey scale Bob Ross painting that says, 'We don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents.' -Bob Ross." Izuku answers.

"Is that your artistic way of saying 'no regrets'?" Katsuki smirks.

"Basically, yeah. I can't tell if that was a pun or not."

"Take it how you want to take it," Katsuki shrugs. "What's up with your weird, empty spots? And is the filler ink between your tattoos, is that green lightning bolts?"

"Those are blacklight tattoos and yes, it is." Izuku shrinks into himself with each question. It feels strange for Kacchan to be so nice. Katsuki seems impressed. He circles Izuku, taking in his shoulder pieces.

Katsuki runs a finger along the scythe blade on his left shoulder and does it again to the wing on his right shoulder. Izuku can't suppress the shiver that wracks his body. Kacchan comes back to the front of him. He motions for Izuku to hold his arms out and he obliges. Katsuki points at a small, dead tree with a clock melted over the branch. "'The Persistence of Memory', you talked about it all the time." Katsuki shakes his head. "What's that one?"

Izuku was already feeling hot and breathing seemed to sear his lungs as Katsuki walked around him. Suddenly he feels very cold. How could he have forgotten? Shit, where is his shirt? He locates it and slips it on. Sitting above his right wrist is a turntable with "DJ" in block letters above it and "Deku" in block letters below it.

Katsuki scrunches his eyebrows together. "DJ Deku?"


	5. Maybe Not, Midoriya

"I should really go," Izuku says, fumbling with the buttons on his shirt and picking up his camera.

"Izuku, wait," Katsuki says softly, gripping on to Izuku's wrist. "I'm not mad. Please, don't run away from me." The 'again' hung in the air between them. He had never heard Kacchan sound so vulnerable before. Izuku pulls him into a hug which, much to his surprise, is returned. Katsuki clears his throat and returns to his normal tone. "I am curious though."

"Why don't we sit down for a few minutes and I'll tell you?" Izuku says, leading them over to one of the couches.

To any person who saw them, they would see two men sitting on a couch, one with a passive look and one gesturing animatedly with his hands. When Katsuki sat down on that couch he only expected an explanation for the DJ Deku tattoo, but he got a lot more. Izuku explained everything to him, how he had gotten to where he is now and more. Filling in the gaps of his life that Kacchan had missed over the years. Katsuki would ask a question occasionally, but really just listened. He had been a terrible friend to Izuku for so long and he could only hope that this, mostly one-sided, talk could mend the cracks and crevices he had created.

Toshinori had not been lying about his schedule at One for All filling up to nearly bursting. His apprenticeship isn't paid, but he does get to keep all of the tips that are given to him and his wallet is quickly getting full. Izuku barely had time to get from the shop to the nightclub to set up and DJ. There was no denying that by the time Sunday Friend Funday arrived, Izuku was very much tired.

"Hey gang, for those of you who don't know, this is Yagi Toshinori. He is my boss and my friend, but he is also a part of my collage project, so he agreed to come over for the group photo. And pizza," Izuku says with amusement as he introduces Toshinori to all of his friends. Everyone greets him happily and welcomes him to the group warmly. "Alright, everyone sit at the tables," Izuku directs and, the few people who weren't elbows deep into their Magic battles, pull up seats and wait for further direction.

Izuku nods his approval and positions his stool at the end of the tables and climbs onto it carefully, camera strapped safely to his neck. After a few adjustments and practice shots, he tells everyone to look at him. They all stop and smile for the picture which Izuku takes quickly. As soon as he gives the thumbs up that it looks great, Toshinori rushes forward to help him down.

"No, I can get it," Izuku says, looking over his shoulder and back to his friends. "Will you take my Camera, Toshi?" Step back." He glances over his shoulder again before jumping up and arching backward before twisting his torso. The world flips and twists with him before he lands on his feet and everyone in the common area is cheering for him, surprised and shocked that he landed his full twist backflip. Izuku smiles with pride and joins his friends at the table.

"I didn't know you could do that!" Ochako says excitedly as she sits beside Toshinori who is helping himself to some of the pizza.

Izuku shrugs, "I've never had a reason to do it."

"Show off," Bakugou whispers from beside him. "Tch." He chides at Midoriya's smug look.

"DJ Deku is getting a new entrance," he whispers to Kacchan. "Fuyumi is going to be remodeling the club and I gave her some ideas that she really liked so they are included in her plans." Katsuki just looks at him like he is a mutant. Izuku simply shrugs.

"Thank you, Toshinori. I really appreciate your help with my project," Izuku says, letting him out of the dorm building.

"I'll do anything I can to help you succeed, Young Midoriya. Now, go finish that collage, it's due soon, Slacker." Toshinori waves as he walks away.

The journey back to his room is short, but when he walks in, he finds Iida waiting for him. Is this where my lecture for the backflip comes in? I'll have to reassure him that it is well-practiced, and I was in no danger.

"Midoriya, I don't usually do this, I've never done this," Iida half mutters to himself. "I like you, Midoriya and I would like to, if you'll allow me the honor, take you on a date." He finishes with a small bow.

That is far from a lecture. A date? Iida likes me? As more than a friend? I've never been on a date before. What could go wrong? "I accept," Izuku answers, hoping that is the right response. Should he have said 'yes' or 'a date sounds delightful'? Too late to worry about it now.

"Would Wednesday evening work for you?" Iida asks as if he doesn't know Izuku's schedule. He is flushed and looks dumbfounded that Izuku had said yes.

"Wednesday evening will work just fine," he replies nervously. They both change into lounge clothes, tension thick in the air, and proceed to study. If he is going on a date with Iida, then he might as well get new clothes and a haircut.

As he sends his completed collage to the developing studio a couple of blocks away from campus, via email, he gets an idea as to who could help him with his date. He makes sure Iida still has his earbuds in before he makes the call.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Yaoyorozu. How are you doing?" Izuku asks politely.

"I'm well Midoriya, thank you for asking. To what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?"

"I got asked out, on a date," Izuku says, pausing to contemplate on how to ask her. "I was wondering if you would be free on Wednesday morning to go shopping with me? I'm not really sure what I'm doing if I'm honest with you."

A brief pause and then, "I'd love to go shopping with you again! This time you get to actually buy something instead of just taking pictures while I buy things. We will have so much fun! I'm so glad you trust me enough to pick your first date outfit." Momo gushes out all of her words quickly.

"Could we keep this between us for now? I don't want," Izuku stops and checks on Iida's position before continuing. "I don't want Iida to change his mind."

"Iida asked you on a date?! Where are you going to get ready for your date? I would suggest my place, but if the Kappa sorority sisters get their hands on you then you may leave here with more glitter than is necessary," Yaoyorozu says with a laugh.

"I'm sure Todoroki wouldn't mind if I borrowed his room for a moment. I'll make sure by Wednesday. There isn't really much for mend to do to get ready though." They confirm a time and place on Wednesday before hanging up. Izuku finishes his remaining homework and lays down to rest and sleep before Iida does.

Wednesday arrives before Izuku can even blink once. After his morning run with Iida, he showers and leaves to meet Yaoyorozu. The bus ride is uneventful, he just lets music flow through his earbuds. Izuku keeps pulling at his unruly curls and checking his reflection in the bus window.

"Hey, Momo. Are you sure this store is good for date clothes?" He asks, pulling his sunglasses off of his face and earbuds out of his ears, tucking them both away in his pocket.

"Did Iida mention what kind of date it would be or what to wear?" She asks, leading the way into the store.

"He just said 'dress casual'," Izuku answers, shrugging his shoulders.

Yaoyorozu looks him over and shakes her head. "I need you to take off your hoodie, so I can see your form." He takes his hoodie off as directed. She immediately shakes her head again. "You have to lose the baggy, long sleeve shirts."

"Why?" He inquires.

"I'm the one who knows what looks good, Midoriya. I need you to trust me," Momo reasons, browsing nearby racks of clothes.

Izuku heaves a sigh and resigns his protest, taking his black, long sleeve shirt off and leaving him clad in only a tight, white shirt. "Is this better?"

Momo peaks around the clothes at him. "If I was into men, I'd totally date you," she says with a grin, raking her eyes over his chest. "I do like to admire fine art though. Are you sure you don't just want to wear that? Iida would love it."

"He sees me like this all the time. I want to impress him."

"Clearly you already have if he is taking you on a date," Yaoyorozu counters, holding up a shirt in front of him and cocking her head to the side. "I'm a tad bit entertained by you, if I'm being honest." She adds the shirt to the small stack draped over her arm.

"Huh? What do you mean?" It's Izuku's turn to cock his head to the side.

"I mean sweet, reserved Midoriya is covered in tattoos." Momo nods at his arms before continuing. "You can do twisted backflips and make the best caffé macchiato with the best chocolate drizzle drawings that I've ever had the pleasure of drinking. Is there anything else you can do?"

"Plenty of things, but they are supposed to be secret." Izuku cracks an amused smile, holding up a pair of light blue denim jeans as a suggestion to add to the pile. She nods and takes them.

"Give me one of your secrets," Momo implores to Izuku as they wander through the store to the changing rooms.

"I think the real question here is if I tell you, does it remain a secret?" Izuku questions back through the door of the cubicle sized dressing room.

"I don't go around spouting everyone's business to the world. That is just disrespectful." Momo eyes him severely as soon as he steps out of the room. "Keep the jacket, ditch that outfit idea." She ushers him back in before continuing, "alas, I am only human and therefore curious. Or nosey. Whichever you prefer to use."

"Curiosity killed the cat, Momo."

"I just clarified that I'm human," she shoots back, nodding as he steps out again. "That's a good look."

"I can't do this shirt, it looks like something Kacchan would wear," Izuku remarks more to himself than to Momo. The next shirt he tries, gets approval too and they walk to the register to pay. "I need a haircut too. I'm looking kind of shaggy."

"Maybe a trim, but I already have a hairstyle in mind," Yaoyorozu replies as they walk out of the store.

"Welcome Midoriya, Yaoyorozu." Shouto expresses as he holds the door to his dorm room open for them. It is exceptionally clean and organized on both sides of the room.

"What brings you here, Nerd?" Bakugou says from his desk on the other side of the room.

"I, uh, you know, needed a place to get ready for my date." Izuku looks at his shoes and rubs the back of his neck.

"Date? With who?" Katsuki fires back quickly.

"What does that matter?" Izuku asks.

"It just does," Katsuki answers, narrowing his red eyes.

"Iida." It's barely a whisper.

"Whatever. Have fun." Venom laces Bakugou's words as he turns back to his open text book.

It doesn't take much time for Midoriya to change into his new clothes and within ten minutes, Momo has his hair styled and both she and Todoroki step back to check him over. They nod in unison which prompts Izuku to turn and look at himself in the full-length mirror on the back of the door. The compulsory red shoes are mostly covered by the light blue denim jeans that he had suggested to Momo. The pants cling to his thighs and shape around his butt in the utmost flattering way. The multitudes of squats he does definitely shows in them. They are paired with a simple yet form fitting ash grey t-shirt which is mostly covered by a simple black topcoat. The unruly green curls atop his head have been trimmed and tamed into chaotic order with some lightweight hair wax. They are deeply parted on the left side of his head and flow to just above his right ear.

"I owe you big time, Momo," Izuku breathes out, eyebrows raised at himself in surprise of how good he looks.

"You could pay me in one of your juicy secrets." Yaoyorozu's eyes light up deviously.

"I can do that." He pulls her close, whispering in her ear for a moment.

After Midoriya backs away, Momo looks at him incredulously. "There is no way!"

"I swear it." Izuku checks himself over one more time. "Time for me to go." They wish him good luck and Bakugou only grunts as Izuku walks out the door.

Midoriya notices Iida before the other man sees him. Looking Tenya over from head to toe, he notes that his date also put in some effort. Dark blue denim jeans, a black pea coat, the collar of his navy-blue t-shirt barely showing. Black shoes and a navy-blue scarf. The way Iida's eyes light up at the sight of Izuku approaching has Izuku's cheeks burning with blush.

"Midoriya," Iida greets him with a small bow before offering his arm to Izuku.

"Tenya," Izuku greets back, looping his arm through his date's arm. "You look very nice."

A pink tinge appears on Iida's face. "Thank you, you look wonderful," Tenya replies. It's only a two-minute walk to the restaurant from their meeting place on campus and Izuku has never seen it before. He voices the thought aloud. "Ah yes, it's small and easily missed, but the food here is delicious. I thought it might be a place you'd like." Tenya falls silent.

"It's quaint. I'm glad you brought me here. You are full of surprises," Izuku says with approval.

"I'm glad to hear that, Midoriya."

"If I may ask, why did you wait until Sunday to ask me on a date?" Izuku gazes at Iida as they sit down at a table.

"It was Valentine's Day. I've been working up the nerve to ask for a while." Tenya mumbles quietly.

Was it really Valentine's Day on Sunday? How had he missed it? That explains all of the couple's tattoos he's been doing. The two men settle into an awkward silence, only talking to order their meals and an occasional question or comment between them. Izuku has never been on a date before, but he is almost certain that they shouldn't be so tense. It is just Iida, so why does this feel so strange? As his mother always tells him, honesty is the best policy.

"Um, Iida? Is this date going how you expected it to go?" Izuku fidgets under the edge of the table.

For a moment, Iida is stunned at his straightforward question. Once he recovers, Tenya shakes his head. "You have many admirable traits, both inside and out."

"Do you think that us dating would work out?"

"Maybe not, Midoriya." He pauses to take a sip of water. "To be honest with you, I don't think we are meant to date, not anymore. Not with how this date is going. I hope that doesn't upset you."

Izuku lets out a relieved laugh. "Not at all. I'm glad we can agree here." After the pressure of the date is off of their shoulders, the conversation flows more easily, and dinner becomes more enjoyable. Iida still pays like the gentleman he is, despite Midoriya's protests, and leads them out to the street.

Midoriya offers his arm to Iida and says, "just because the date wasn't a success doesn't mean today wasn't a success. We can still end on a good note." Tenya links up his arm with Izuku's and they make their way back to the Honors Dorm Building together.

"You went on a date with Iida?!" Uraraka screeches at Midoriya the next morning during their shift together at Quirffee.

"It isn't that big of a deal, Ochako. Tell her, Iida." Izuku looks pleadingly at Tenya who is sitting at the counter with his breakfast in hand. He simply shakes his head at Midoriya, opting for a bite of croissant instead. "Traitor."

"I'm your best friend and you didn't tell me." Ochako pouts before putting her hands on her hips. "How did it go then?"

"We decided against a relationship," Izuku answers shyly. Iida nods.

"Oh, well, I'm sure it is for the best," she replies as she wipes the counter down.

"I'm not sure I should mention out date to anyone else. That was a rather dramatic reaction." Izuku looks at Ochako and then at Tenya.

Iida just shrugs with no real concern on the matter. "Maybe not, Midoriya."


	6. Green, Green Everywhere

Just as quickly as it started, February ends, bringing with it cold and wet weather. Midterms have finally passed and for a moment every student can catch their breath. They get to take a week-long spring break, but not Izuku. He picks up every vacant morning shift he can get his hands on at Quirffee and Toshi approves his request to work his apprenticeship all week as well. He takes advantage of his free time by working ahead in each class. Once that is finished, he begins the new artwork and mixes for the next few weekends at Fire and Ice. While everyone else relaxed at home or on a beach, Izuku worked.

It is too quiet in his dorm room with Iida gone. They had both easily gotten over the awkward date and laughed along with their friends when they told them about it at the following game night. Izuku wants to say that the not-so-great date makes him want to give up dating altogether, but he knows that not all dates will end up that way. In all honesty, Izuku hasn't been actively looking for a relationship since, well, ever.

The return of students is welcoming since so few stay behind on break. "Iida! How was your visit with your brother?" Izuku gives Tenya his full attention as he talks about the highlights of his week. The group is still gathering for game night, but rather than play Magic, they would be discussing their breaks.

"Izuku, our fearless leader, what did you do during break?" Ochako asks from a few seats away.

"He isn't our damn leader. If I remember correctly, I brought the two groups together, so I should be the leader," Bakugou snarks off across from Uraraka.

"We get it, Kacchan," Izuku says, rolling his eyes. "I worked at my jobs and worked ahead in most of my classes. That's all I did really besides having lunch with Toshinori a few times."

"You are so boring," Bakugou says. "I relaxed most of the time, but I did keep up on my gym routine and I visited the beach a few times."

"My mom and dad took me on vacation," Uraraka chimes in.

"I played indoor soccer," Kirishima pipes up.

"I hung out with Sero," Kaminari adds after Kirishima. Sero nods in agreement.

"I went shopping with Ashido," Momo adds.

"I worked at Fire and Ice," Jirou says.

"Me too." Shouto nods.

"Did Fuyumi get the renovations done?" Ochako asks excitedly.

"She did. It is much more functional now and there are two levels now as well. The second level really just goes around the perimeter of the building with a small bar and dance floor off to one side. You can look over the railing to see everyone dancing below." Shouto finishes explaining and nearly everyone is silently looking at him.

"I've never heard that many words come out of your mouth at one time," Katsuki says. Shouto merely shrugs.

Izuku couldn't deny that it felt nice to have his routine back.

The third weekend in March is not only the grand re-opening of Fire and Ice Nightclub but it is also Saint Patrick's Day weekend. The club would be selling discounted green beer and handing out golden chocolate coins to club goers who wore green. It was up to Deku and Earphone Jack to keep the dance floor alive. Thanks to the remodel and Izuku's ideas, he and EJ now have stacked but staggered DJ platforms so they don't have to struggle for space or switch in and out. Deku's platform is still accessible by stairs from the dance floor and by a catwalk along the wall. EJ's is accessible from the second floor, across another catwalk, and down a few stairs. His platform juts out from the wall much further than Jirou's and is about five and a half feet below it too. Fuyumi also had new screens and projectors installed so that Deku could display videography and upcoming events on.

"Hey Young Midoriya, I'll be over at Fire and Ice soon. I want to check out the new remodel and I also hear they have a really good DJ there on the weekends as well," Toshi says as Izuku gets his equipment together and puts his hood up.

"I'll have to be on the lookout for that DJ then, I have to know what I'm up against," Izuku replies with a laugh.

"I've seen you and that other DJ together…" Toshinori wiggles his eyebrows.

"I'm not her type."

"You're everyone's type."

Izuku sighs with amusement. "Not her's, I'm the wrong gender." The look on Toshi's face has Izuku cackling. "See you later, Toshi." The line for Fire and Ice wraps around the corner of the block when he walks by the front of the building.

"Hello, Camie. I'm glad to see you again," Deku greets the smiling woman at the back door.

"It's good to see you too, Deku. Go break a leg or knock their socks off or whatever the saying is," Camie replies, holding the door open for him. He quickly changes into a neon green tank top with a gold shamrock on the front and black shorts.

The walk to his platform makes his stomach knot up with excitement. He has ample amounts of space in case he decides to add more equipment or host a dance party or whatever his heart so desires. He sets up exactly to his liking and checks his timers, leaving to visit EJ. Shouto nods at him from the second-floor bar and Deku waves back.

"Hey EJ, how is it working out for you up here?" Deku asks as he straps his AMU hat on tightly.

"This is the coolest idea you have ever had, Deku! The view from up here is amazing and Todoroki keeps me supplied with whatever virgin beverage I want," she gushes to him. "That temporary stage during the remodel was worse than the one we had before it, so this is a very welcome change. Look at all this space and though I have always loved your company, I don't have to bump elbows with you anymore."

"I'm glad you like it. It is a beautiful view from up here," Deku agrees as he looks over the railing.

"Are you really going to do your trick tonight? I know you practiced for at least an hour on Wednesday." Jirou eyes Deku as she holds out his harness belt.

"Only if you're going to announce me," he fires back with a grin, strapping the belt on and tugging the thin wire hooked to the back loop to check the security of it.

"Do you ever have to question if I will?" She jests back, watching Deku climb onto the railing and balance himself in front of her mixer. "Are you sure about this?"

Deku looks down at his platform and back at EJ. "Nope. Let's do it anyways."

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is now 10pm." Right on cue, Deku's first song starts its intro. He mouths the word 'perfect' to EJ. "Give it up for DJ DEKU!"

Deku pulls his mask up over his face, winks at Jirou, and with more confidence than he feels, springs up out of his crouch on the railing. He jumps high and arches his back, adding the twist of his torso. He briefly catches a glimpse of Shouto's surprised face before he sees his platform below him and then his feet find solid, sturdy metal.

'Damn son. Isn't that enough?' He turns around with his arms raised in victory as the dance floor erupts with cheers and clapping. Deku adjusts a couple of knobs and starts his 'DJ Deku' videography on the projector screens beside his platform. Unsnapping his safety belt, he puts it to the side and slides an earphone over his ear to check the next transition.

He couldn't particularly remember why he specifically chose DJing as a hobby in high school, but Deku does remember why he started out concealing his identity. His nerd tendencies and muttering often times made him an easy target for bullying and during his final year of high school there was a dance to celebrate graduation. Izuku had applied to DJ the dance along with one of his demo mixes. It was an immense surprise to him when he was hired on for the event. His mother was thrilled with the news and when Izuku had voiced his worries about how his peers would react to him being their source of entertainment for the evening, she immediately set to work on researching everything she could about DJ culture.

Not long after their conversation, Izuku had come home from school to find what would become his first outfit for his Deku personality. A burnt orange tank top that read 'Do You Even Crossfade?', his mother had it custom made and thought it to be humorous, and a pair of black shorts. She bought a black snapback hat with the All Might brand symbol on it and the very same LED mask that he uses at the club. Izuku had put it on and went to the kitchen to show her. He didn't have nearly as many tattoos back then and the orange really brought out the freckles on his shoulders.

No one at that dance was any the wiser to his identity except for Todoroki who was staying at the Midoriya household once the dance was done. That night he learned to fall deeply in love with his hobby. It gave Deku the ability to let people relieve stress, make memories, and just have fun in general. Poor, trodden down Izuku became a god over the dance floor with just a few twitches of his fingers, orchestrating the bodies in front of him into a dance of calm chaos. After that, he never cared to show who he was while he made music, the sounds he created did all of the talking for him. Up on his platform, both then and now, DJ Deku is untouchable.

Someone tapping his shoulder brings him out of his trance. Shouto is saying something to him, but the earphones cancel out his words completely. "I'm sorry, Shouto. I didn't hear anything you just said," Deku says, pulling them off.

"It's time for your break. Would you like to sit outside with me?" Shouto asks again.

"Sure, of course, yes, uh just let me switch it over to EJ," Deku says, glancing up above him. He waves to get her attention and signs out that he is going on his break. While Jirou introduces herself, he switches to his 'Earphone Jack' videography and casts it onto the screens beside her platform. They exchange conformational thumbs up before he and Shouto leave for the back door.

The chill feels nice on Deku's face as he follows Shouto outside. "The club is really packed. Everyone really wanted to see it after the remodel. Are you really busy upstairs?" Deku sits beside Todoroki at the picnic table.

"Not anymore busy than the usual Friday night. Did Fuyumi approve you to do your backflip?" Shouto's voice carries concern despite his face being as apathetic as ever.

"Yes, she is the one who got me the harness belt and she helped me practice on Wednesday. Why do you ask?"

"It's just dangerous to do that. I don't want you to get hurt, okay?" Shouto awkwardly pats Deku's shoulder.

"I'm not going to do it all the time. Could you imagine the damage it would do to my joints? I'll be safe it though, I promise," Deku says reassuringly, bumping his shoulder with Shouto's. "Did you see all the green on the dance floor? It's like a leprechaun party down there. That's what Fuyumi should have advertised this weekend's theme to be," he says with a laugh.

"It looks like your hair came to life on the dance floor," Shouto replies, amusement lacing the words as he says them. Deku looks at him flabbergasted. It makes Shouto crack the tiniest hint of a smile.

Izuku starts laughing and can't seem to bring himself to stop. Once he calms down, he asks, "was that a smile I saw? Did the forever bored Todoroki Shouto smile at me?"

"Maybe I did," Shouto answers with the ghost of a smirk.

"I don't know how much more my heart can handle. I can live the rest of my life in complete happiness knowing I've seen you smile." Deku doesn't realize until it's too late that he has reached out and cupped Shouto's cheek, running his thumb along the edge of the burn scar around his eye. For the briefest moment, Shouto leans into the touch.

"Break time is over boys," a woman with white hair calls out the back door to them.

Izuku jumps back quickly, dropping his hand from Shouto's cheek, and looks over at her. "Yes Fuyumi." He and Shouto follow her back into the club awkwardly.

"Keep up the great work, both of you," Fuyumi praises before walking away with purpose.

Deku shakes the image of Shouto's face out of his head when he gets back to his platform. EJ introduces him again and he starts his second set for the night, the first song bringing cheers of recognition up from the dance floor.

"Have a good morning, Deku," Camie says as he leaves out the door for the evening.

"You too, Camie. I'll see you later tonight." He turns the corner and sees a group of familiar faces that make him freeze in his tracks.

"DJ Deku, hey man, you should definitely have your hood up since it is misting rain," Kirishima says, blocking everyone from seeing him and pulling his hood over his curls. It gives Izuku time to pull his mask over his face as well.

"Kirishima, I didn't know you are on speaking terms with the DJ here," Uraraka says as she peers around Iida at them.

"Of course, I am. I'm friends with everyone. Besides, he did my tramp stamp for me," he replies with a big smile. He turns back to Deku and says, "let me walk you home. I'll take a duffel bag." Izuku doesn't protest and gives one to him. "Catch all of you later." Deku nods at them before following Kirishima.

"Thanks for saving me back there," Izuku says, pulling his mask down once they have safely turned the corner.

"It's no big deal. I'm always glad to help. All of that aside, I've been meaning to talk to you about something and now is the perfect time," Eijirou says sheepishly, a deep blush painting his cheeks.


	7. Why is Everyone Yelling?

"MIDORIYA IZUKU!" He jumps at the sound of his name and turns to see the pouting face of one Uraraka Ochako. She is storming toward him from across the Honors Dorm courtyard.

"H-hi Ochako. Why are you yelling?" Izuku feels guilty already and he isn't sure what he's done wrong.

"I figured it out!" She announces triumphantly.

"F-figured what o-out?" He stutters, starting to sweat.

"It took me a little longer than it should have," she starts as she comes up beside him. "You are friends with that DJ from the club! That's where you learned the backflip." Izuku just stares at her for a long moment. He knows that she is waiting for him to reveal his identity to her and when he does, she will start screeching at the top of her lungs again.

"You found me out, Ochako," Izuku says, closing his book and sitting it on his lap.

"What?" She finally sits down, confusion replacing her triumph.

"Deku is my best friend. He has been my best friend since high school. He does actually live in the same dorm building as me, he sleeps in my bed, showers with me, wears my clothes, eats my food, and works at Quirffee with me. He and I do literally everything together," Izuku says, trying to contain his smile.

"Why didn't you tell me?! Don't you think that your best friend should know before anyone else does? Izuku, just, what the heck, ya know?" She looks genuinely hurt at the betrayal.

"Ochako, it was supposed to be a secret from everyone, but it's slowly been getting out recently. I shouldn't really be bothered by it now, this isn't high school anymore after all." He takes his time explaining everything to her and ends with Kirishima saving him on Friday night.

"WAIT JUST A MINUTE!" Uraraka yells right next to Izuku's ear. "That would mean you were the one to do Kirishima's tattoo." She squints suspiciously at him.

"I told you I was doing commission work on the weekends. I just left out that it is at One for All Tattoos." He braces himself for more yelling, but it doesn't come.

"I can't completely complain about that one," she reasons. "Am I still your best friend, 'Zuku? I feel like I'm not." The hurt is evident in her voice.

"You are which is why I'm going to give you a new secret that no one knows about yet."

"I'm listening," she says intently.

"Kirishima asked me out on a date."

"HE DID WHAT NOW?!"

"Ocha, please stop yelling," Izuku pleads to her.

"When did he ask? Did you say yes?" Uraraka asks, bouncing in her seat.

"Quiet down and I'll tell you." he begins with Kirishima saving him at the club and telling Izuku that he wanted to talk...

"Of course, Eijirou. I'm all ears." Izuku says happily.

Kirishima's face is still flushed as he runs a hand through the red spikes of his hair. The air around them becomes slightly tense which makes Midoriya tug at the strap of his bag. "You are a really cool dude, ya know? You have the best smile and you are like super smart, and all-around super cool." He could see where Eijirou was going with this talk and it was really starting to make him sweat. "I like you, and at first I didn't know if you were into guys or dating or anything, but now I know, you know? Or at least I think I know." Kirishima trails off for a moment, "I just, I would really like to take you out, on a date. Just the two of us?" Eijirou finishes nervously.

How does he feel about Kirishima? He makes Izuku feel warm all over and he is a really sweet guy. What damage could one date cause? "I think going on a date with you would be delightful, so yes." Izuku flashes him a bright smile.

Kirishima's face goes from apprehensive to ecstatic in .5 seconds. "OH, HECK YEAH!" He yells, throwing a fist in the air triumphantly before composing himself again. Clearing his throat, Kirishima says, "it will be a great date, just you wait and see."

"So?" Uraraka asks once Izuku finishes his story. He looks at her pointedly, so she will clarify her question.

"So, when is your date?" She presses on.

Izuku checks his watch. "I'm meeting Eijirou in two hours at the gym. That's where he works, and he clocks out in two hours. We are going to the aquarium," Izuku supplies helpfully.

"Are you going to dress up like you did with Iida?" Ochako pries further.

"I'm just going to wear what I did on my date with Iida. It's good for the occasion." Izuku just shrugs his shoulders at the look of shock on her face.

"Honey, no. That is a dating faux pas, I can't allow you to do that, come with me." Uraraka stands up and holds her hand out to him. "Let's go raid your closet." Izuku follows her and takes her hand, letting her lead the way to the dorms.

"Iida, give us an honest opinion of this date outfit," Ochako says as she pulls Izuku out of his little closet.

"A date? To where and with whom, Midoriya?" He asks as he pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Does it really matter?" Izuku looks between them, feeling a little embarrassed.

"It's Kirishima and they are going to the aquarium," Ochako chimes in.

"Ocha, really?" Exasperation blankets Izuku's question.

"A long sleeve shirt will just not be functional then. How will you pet the sharks and stingrays? Even if you roll up your sleeves there is still a chance they could fall down and get wet, not to mention the amount of time it would take would just be wasteful. You should wear your teal t-shirt with your light blue jeans that you wore on our date. The weather is nice out, so you shouldn't even need a jacket which is one less hassle. Style your hair the way you did on our date too, it was much tamer." Iida finishes his spiel and both of them stare at him before following his instructions.

"Izuku, you look great!" Uraraka says, clapping her hands as he walks back into the dorm room. He had gone to the bathroom to part his hair and add the wax.

"Thanks, both of you, for all of your help," he says bashfully.

"I'll walk with you until we get to my dorm and then you're on your own, Casanova." Ochako winks at him before leading the way out of the room, out of the dorms, and across the grounds.

"What if this date ends up like the one I went on with Tenya?" Izuku voices his worry while chewing on his bottom lip.

"Stop biting your lip, it's a terrible habit. Kirishima is not Iida. New person and a new date so the outcome won't be the same unless you want it to, okay?" Ochako pats his back as they stop in front of her building. Izuku nods and they say goodbye before he continues the familiar path to the gym.

What if he is overdressed? Or underdressed? What if Kirishima thinks his hair looks stupid or pretentious? He should have brought a jacket anyways, it would get cooler as the day wore on. Ochako is right, Eijirou is not Tenya so this date will be completely different and by different he means better. It is Kirishima after all, there is so much to like about him. The door to the gym entrance appears much faster than Izuku is prepared for, but his legs carry him forward regardless of his protesting mind telling them to cease and desist their advancement.

Inside, the lobby is cool and quiet. Until it isn't. An all-too-familiar voice shatters any serenity within a quarter-mile radius. "YOU ASKED THAT DAMN NERD ON A DATE?!" Izuku groans inwardly at his dastardly luck. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE SAID YES?! WHERE IS HE BECAUSE I'M GOING TO KILL HIM?!"

Soon after the yelling stops, the double doors at the end of the hallway explode open, banging into the brick walls behind them, revealing an angry Katsuki followed by a smug looking Kirishima. It only takes a breath before Bakugou spots Izuku and starts stomping down the hallway toward him.

"H-hi, K-Kacchan. How are you?" Izuku manages to stutter out before Katsuki reaches him.

"I ASK THE QUESTIONS HERE, YOU DAMN NERD. ARE YOU REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM?" Bakugou jams a finger at Kirishima, who is looking between the two of them.

"I'm not answering you until you stop yelling, both at me and in general," Izuku says, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring defiantly.

"HAH? YOU DON'T GET TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" Katsuki rages on.

"Have it your way, Kacchan. Are you ready to go, Kirishima?" Izuku asks, switching his attention to his date. He nods and steps around Bakugou to get to Midoriya who holds the lobby door open for him.

Izuku gives one last glance at a still fuming Kacchan before following Kirishima. As the door closes, they hear Bakugou yell, "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!"

The bus ride to the aquarium is mostly silent with a few shy glances passed between the two men. Izuku takes that time to look over Kirishima's clothes, noting that he too is wearing jeans and a t-shirt, much to Midoriya's relief. Once they are out of the confined space of the bus and into the aquarium itself, the awkward atmosphere of the date begins to dissipate. Both of them are enraptured by the beauty of the fish and all of the water surrounding them, it seems endless.

Izuku can't help but giggle to himself and sneak a picture as Eijirou gazes happily at the little seahorses. Kirishima gets a video of Izuku touching a starfish for the first time ever and laughs as he squeals with anxious glee when his finger makes contact with the sea creature.

As they walk into the first tunnel, both of them look up to watch a shark swim overhead. They grab each other's hand and intertwine their fingers at the same time. Izuku blushes and Eijirou laughs nervously but neither move to let go so they keep walking.

"Great minds think alike," Izuku says casually, pointing out an octopus.

"Your mind is greater than mine," Kirishima replies with a small smile.

"I don't believe that for one moment. Everyone is smart in their own way." Izuku smiles and squeezes Kirishima's hand lightly. "I think you are more than great."

Kirishima is sure that his heart is missing an action because it is certainly not beating anymore. He doesn't really think about his actions, he just pulls Midoriya into a hug which is, at first, hesitantly returned. Before long though, Izuku relaxes his body into the hug too.

"Asking you on a date has been my best decision since choosing AMU," Eijirou says as he pulls away, taking Izuku's hand again.

"What about your masterpiece of a tramp stamp? It isn't on the list?" Izuku asks teasingly.

"The best part of that fiasco was the tattoo artist," Kirishima answers reverently. The remark makes Izuku blush lightly.

They continue through the aquarium, looking on in awe at the jellyfish and making up a conversation between two alligators floating on top of the water, giving each other indirect compliments during the talk. They make funny commentary for the large tortoises that inch their way around the enclosure and marvel at the size of the piranhas.

"Ah, Eijirou! We get to pet stingrays, look!" Izuku points to a large pool of stingrays that several people are putting their hands into.

"Is this even safe?" Kirishima asks, peering into the water. He looks over at Izuku who has his hand in the water about wrist deep. Several stingrays in a line swim up and rub themselves against his palm. Eijirou stands behind Midoriya and puts his hand on top of Izuku's, placing his fingers in between the smaller man's fingers. "Can we take a picture with the stingrays like this?" He murmurs to Izuku who nods. They take a selfie together as a stingray rubs against their fingers.

"Izuku!" Kirishima exclaims as they turn another corner. "We get to pet little sharks too!"

Izuku starts recording a video as Kirishima dips a couple of his fingers into the water. "Do it, do it, do it," he chants quietly as Kirishima's fingers get closer and closer to the sharks swimming by. They range between two and three feet long and are several different shades of browns or greys. Kirishima's eyes widen and light up as he makes contact with a shark.

"I touched it, Izuku!" He says excitedly as he pulls his hand out of the water.

"Yes, you did," he laughs at Eijirou's joy and suggests they wash their hands before heading out.

Izuku stops outside of his dorm building and looks at Eijirou. "It's kind of funny, normally in the movies, after a date, the two people say goodbye on the doorstep and part ways after a dramatic first kiss. Here we are, going to meet up with our friends to play Magic: the Gathering and have pizza. Where does our date end and game night begin?" Izuku rambles a little bit.

"How about our first date ends right here?" Kirishima asks, leaning in quickly before slowing down just as his lips touch Izuku's softly. After a split-second, Izuku relaxes and kisses Eijirou back, tentatively at first and then more confidently. He hums softly, eyes fluttering closed and lets his instincts direct his movements. Izuku rests his hands on Kirishima's hips as Eijirou cups Midoriya's cheek. They finally separate for air, light-headed and panting.

"I'm okay with that idea. I've never kissed someone before," Izuku whispers between them.

"I didn't consider that, how unmanly of me," Kirishima says, worry flashing across his features.

"How about you make it up to me with a second kiss and then a second date?" Izuku asks hopefully.

"I think that is a price I am more than ecstatic to pay," Kirishima murmurs against his lips before falling into another kiss with Midoriya.

"GET IT, DEKU!"

Both boys jump apart quickly and look over to see Uraraka and Tsuyu coming toward them. "Is this the part where we quickly and awkwardly walk inside and up to game night, all the while hoping Ochako doesn't say anything?" Izuku asks.

"That sums it up," Eijirou says, grabbing Izuku's hand and leading him into the building as more catcalls are yelled from behind them.


	8. Friends, Best Friends, Boyfriends

"Welcome, Midoriya," Iida greets him as he stops at the refrigerator to get a drink. "How did your date go?"

"It went very well," Izuku says, closing the door. They both turn to look at Kirishima who is talking animatedly to Ashido and demonstrating how to properly pet a shark. It makes Izuku laugh. "I managed to line up a second date with him."

"Oh 'Zuku, where are you?" Ochako's voice singsongs from over near the elevator. "She may or may not have seen me securing my second date," he says to Iida with a groan. Iida gives him a look that suggests he understands before quickly walking away. "Traitor."

"I need juicy details," Ochako says from behind him, making him yelp in surprise.

"Later, like how about at work tomorrow?" Izuku suggest. Uraraka opens her mouth to protest but Izuku holds up his hand. "I had Iida bring up my collage of friend pictures to show you all now that it is graded. Do you want to see it?" Ochako nods. "Then drop the date thing for now and let's go join everyone." Izuku looks around and finds his collage leaning against a nearby wall, face down. He grabs it and brings it to the end of the tables. Everyone but Toshinori is there, which is fine because he can show Toshi at any time.

"Everyone, Midoriya wants our attention," Iida announces, and a hush falls over the group.

"The friend collage I made a couple of months ago has been graded and returned to me, so I want all of you to see it," Izuku says awkwardly. He sits it on the inside edge of the table for everyone to see.

The collage is printed on canvas and stretched over a wooden frame. It is nearly the size of a movie poster and directly in the center of it is the group photo from game night with the words "All My friends…. Are the Best…" all the way around the edge of the photo. Each photo on the collage is circular with tapered edges.

The top left photo shows Uraraka who is in a Quirffee apron and holding a disposable cup in her hand. A small picture attached to it features Izuku wearing an identical apron and leaning on the coffee shop counter with his chin resting on his palm.

The next photo shows Todoroki in a button up shirt and vest, pouring a shot of some amber liquid into a glass and looking bored. The smaller accompanying picture shows Izuku sitting at the bar taking a drink out of a glass.

The final picture in the top row features Bakugou at a stove and wearing an orange and green apron, stirring something in a pot. The second picture shows Izuku with his eyes closed, pure bliss covering his face as he is mid-chew. The one and only picture that Kacchan had taken that night.

Below Uraraka's picture is a photo of Iida, in the middle of a large stride while running. The sun is rising lazily above the trees in the background. The Izuku photo shows him jogging towards the camera, his cheeks pink and hair blown back.

Next to Iida, the picture is a portrait of Asui with her various pet frogs on her shoulders and in her palms. She looks to be the happiest person on Earth. Izuku's photo shows him touching a frog with a finger and looking rather surprised.

The last picture in the second row is a close up of Toshinori with a tattoo gun in one hand and a paper towel in the other, his tongue between his teeth in concentration. The smaller picture is of Izuku holding his wrist up to show off the tattoo Toshinori was working on in the larger picture. It is a bracelet made up of the Magic: the Gathering elemental symbols. Each one is contained in a circle filled with the corresponding color and connected by chainmail.

The first photo of the third row shows Kirishima lifting weights in the gym and the attached picture shows Izuku doing squats in front of a wall of mirrors. Kirishima can be seen holding the camera about chest height and he is watching Midoriya with a smirk.

Next is Kaminari eating a giant cheeseburger. His mouth is full, and he is looking at the sandwich as if it is the love of his life. Izuku is eating katsudon in his picture since it is his favorite food.

The last one in line is Ashido who is depicted reading a gossip magazine while reclined on a couch in a common room. Izuku is playing a Nintendo 3DS in his picture.

The last line holds Momo, laden with shopping bags and peering over the top of her sunglasses at a gold and white striped dress. The attached picture shows Izuku wearing oversized sunglasses and a lilac sunhat. He has his hands on his waist and one hip jutted out, head cocked to the side and mouth open in the middle of laughing.

Beside Momo is Sero who is hard at work on a scrapbook. There are supplies sprawling out from him on all sides. Izuku's photo shows him with his face covered in stickers and looking through another scrapbook full of pictures.

The very last picture is most definitely not the very least either. It shows Jirou on the old DJ stage at Fire and Ice. She has her headphones on and is tweaking some dials on her mixer while checking her laptop screen, completely focused on her work. The photo attached to it shows Izuku in a black AMU hat, an LED face mask, a yellow tank top, and black gym shorts. He has headphones on and one hand up. Though you can't see the huge smile plastered to his face it's there, and his eyes are shining bright.

It is silent for a few minutes as they all take in his arduous work, there are a few giggles here and there, but it's mostly quiet. Ashido speaks up first, "who knew that Sero likes to make scrapbooks?" Everyone lightly laughs.

Ochako adds, "Deku, please tell me you bought those glasses and that hat?" Everyone howls with laughter.

"Wait, wait, wait," Kaminari says, catching his breath. "Deku? Like DJ Deku?" Izuku nods in confirmation. "Why on Earth did you let Kirishima go through with that horrendous 'Ass Brigade' tramp stamp dude?"

"I was at least able to make it look a little tasteful," Izuku answers with a chuckle and everyone laughs again.

"Welcome to Quirffee, what can I get you on this fine April morning?" Izuku asks cheerfully from behind the counter.

"How about you shove that cheery smile up your ass and get me my stress relief drink, yeah?" Katsuki answers in a grumpy manner. Izuku sets to work, ignoring the attitude of his longtime friend.

"One Mexican hot chocolate," Izuku says, sliding the drink to Bakugou who has already thrown cash on the counter. He picks up the drink and walks away with a departing wave.

"Good morning, Ochako. How are you?" Izuku says with a tired smile.

"I'm here, so tell me about your date," Uraraka says, cutting straight to the point.

Izuku tells her about the date, showing her the pictures that he and Kirishima took and then traded. She 'oohs' and 'awhs' at all the right places in the story which is told between each customer that come in the door. She gets especially excited about the kiss. "And that is when you decided to yell at us." Izuku finishes.

"You know it sounds like Bakugou is jealous," Uraraka says with a contemplative look on her face.

"Jealous? Kacchan would never be jealous," Izuku says as he waves off the notion.

"He totally is." A voice comes from behind Ochako, causing both of the employees to jump. They turn to see Yaoyorozu standing at the counter. "I heard about his yelling at the gym. He has no other reason to be yelling besides jealousy."

"You really think so?" Midoriya asks, grabbing Momo's preferred disposable coffee cup. "Soy latte?"

"Yes, and yes, please. Trust us ladies, we know what's up," Yaoyorozu says as she winks at Uraraka who nods.

"I don't understand why he would be jealous," Izuku says, drawing a picture in the foam of Momo's latte. "What about this one?" He asks, showing her the orchid he drew.

"It looks amazing as always, Midoriya. If you don't get why Bakugou is jealous right now then you will never get it," Momo says with a nonchalant shrug. She waves goodbye as she takes a sip of her latte and gives a hum of enjoyment.

"Anyways, you said you secured a second date with Kirishima. Do you have any idea when and where it will be?"

"I sure do. Would you be free to go shopping with me on Wednesday? I swear buying date clothes is getting to be ridiculous, but I need them," Izuku admits in defeat.

"Heck yes we will go shopping on Wednesday!" Uraraka smiles brightly at Izuku as they give each other high fives.

Izuku isn't sure about a lot of things, however, he is sure that the outfit Uraraka designated for him did not fit his personality at all. He stops in front of a tall, glass window nearby to check himself out again. A white t-shirt under an open, red plaid button up shirt. A featherlight grey scarf is wrapped around his neck loosely and he is wearing his light blue jeans with his red sneakers. From now on, Momo is the only girl who gets to help him pick out any type of clothes.

Izuku turns the corner and finds Kirishima waiting at their date destination, an art museum. He had been talking to Asui at game night about how the art museum would be exhibiting the Terra-Cotta Army and that if he got any free time, he was going to see it. Eijirou must have been listening because he had told Midoriya they were going on a second date here.

"Hey Eijirou," Izuku says as Kirishima turns to look at him.

"Hello Midoriya. Are you ready to teach me a thing or two about art?" Kirishima says with a smile.

"I won't guarantee I'll have all the answers, but if I don't then I'll just make them up as I go along," Izuku replies, laughing nervously.

"Sounds good to me man," Kirishima says, taking Midoriya's hand and intertwining their fingers.

The inside of the museum is an image of Victorian era grandeur including wraparound staircases to take you up to the second and third floors of the building. Izuku grips Eijirou's hand harder in in excitement as they walk into the first section, Egyptian art. He is practically vibrating with excitement as he looks at everything. "This place is full of inspiration. I can't believe I didn't think to come here before now. Look at this work!"

It isn't until they are leaving the Modern Art Room that Izuku realizes he is practically dragging Kirishima everywhere. "I'm sorry for pulling you everywhere, Eijirou. Is there anything you want to see? I'll slow down," Izuku mumbles softly.

"The only thing I really want to see is your unadulterated excitement. And maybe hear some more of your knowledge about art history and techniques." They find themselves in the biggest room so far and it features the exhibit for the Terra-Cotta Army. "The way you talk about it and teach me is captivating. You really are smart," Kirishima says with a genuine smile.

"He is one of my most promising students, so it's nice to see him exercising more than just a paintbrush," a bored voice drawls from beside them, causing them to jump.

"Mr. Aizawa, sir! I didn't see you there," Midoriya says as a blush forms on his cheeks. "Thank you for such kind words."

"They are facts, Midoriya. I could go on and on about how promising you are, but why don't you teach us something about the Terra-Cotta Army and Chinese art?" Mr. Aizawa suggests with a small smile.

"Of course, sir. The army itself was first discovered in 1974 in Xi'an, China. There are thousands of clay soldiers and each one is unique in its facial features. They were even positioned according to their rank. They are a part of a mausoleum for the first emperor of China. The soldiers were to accompany him into the afterlife. There are even clay horses and wooden chariots." Izuku says matter-of-factly as they slowly walk through the room.

"Sounds like a guy who made a lot of enemies in his mortal life and knew karma would be coming for him," Kirishima comments.

"You would think so, and it's quite possible, but Qin Shi Huang Di actually brought peace and unification to several warring kingdoms, even if it was by conquering them. He even made money, weight, and measures all standardized and built many roads and canals to connect cities. The tomb itself has not been excavated but the records of a court historian in the Han dynasty say that it is full of treasures." Izuku and Kirishima look to Mr. Aizawa who nods.

"Very good, Midoriya. I may have to assign my classes to visit the museum as homework," he says thoughtfully.

"There you are Shouta, we've been looking everywhere for you." Two people walk up to tired-looking Mr. Aizawa. "Oh, I didn't see you for a moment there, Midoriya. And Kirishima. How are you both doing?"

"Very well, Mr. Yamada," Kirishima answers as Midoriya nods in agreement. "How about yourself?"

"The same as you, just having a nice Sunday out with the family," Mr. Yamada says with a smile as he nods at Mr. Aizawa and the little girl.

"Hi! I'm Eri! I like your hair," she says, pointing to Izuku's green curls.

"Eri," Mr. Aizawa says with a sigh. "Pointing isn't polite."

"I'm sorry," Eri says shyly to Izuku who crouches down in front of her.

"Apology accepted. I like your rainbow tutu, it's very pretty." Izuku says as Eri's smile widens.

"Thank you."

"Midoriya there was just teaching Kirishima here about the history of the Terra-Cotta Army," Mr. Aizawa informs the two newest guests.

"I thought everyone knew about the Qin dynasty," Eri says, looking at Kirishima curiously. It causes Mr. Aizawa to facepalm himself and Eijirou to laugh.

"Unfortunately, no, I did not know about the Qin dynasty." Kirishima rubs the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I'm going to excuse us out of this conversation before it turns into a train wreck," Mr. Yamada says with a chuckle. They say their goodbyes before going separate ways.

"Who would've guessed that they were married with a child?" Izuku asks offhandedly to Eijirou.

"Mr. Yamada has a family portrait of them on his desk," Kirishima replies with a shrug.

Both of them find themselves outside of the Honors Dorm Building once more, preparing to go up to game night. The museum date had gone perfectly, even with the encounter in the Terra-Cotta Army exhibit.

"The art museum was amazing. Thank you so much, Eijirou." Izuku says happily. "It was very thoughtful of you."

"Anytime, Midoriya. It was really nice to see you look so happy. I, uh, was just thinking, er, wondering if maybe you'd like to be my boyfriend? Like officially?" Eijirou asks, fidgeting his hands nervously.

Izuku covers Kirishima's hands with his own, "I would love that." They lean in for a soft kiss that Izuku pulls out of quickly, checking around them. "I forgot to make sure we were all clear of Uraraka." They return to their kiss, moving in closer together.

"I'M UP HERE, DEKU! I'M ALL FOR YOU SUCKING FACE BUT YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE!" Ochako cackles from the top floor window she has opened.

"WHO IS SUCKING FACE WITH THE NERD?!" Katsuki yells from deeper inside the building.

"I swear it won't always be like this." Izuku groans.

"Can we just continue this in the elevator?" Kirishima asks, sounding hopeful.

"That would be great."


	9. So That's What it Feels Like

Dating Kirishima has added new colors to Izuku's life. He can finally understand the hype of dating someone. Every outing and date makes Izuku feel alive and happy. They work out together, get lunch together on Izuku's break at work, and on Sundays they find a new adventure to go on. Time flies by so quickly that it hardly registers for Izuku that two months have passed, and finals are upon them which signals not only the end of the semester, but also the end of his freshman year of college.

It's a Saturday night at Fire and Ice, music is pumping from Izuku's fingers and out through the speakers when Jirou drops in to see him. "How are you, Deku?" She asks as she pushes some hair behind her ear.

"Hey EJ, I have a question. Kirishima has been acting kind of different lately, like less smiley and cooler around me, if that makes sense. Do you think that maybe finals are getting to him? Is there anything I can do to help him out?"

EJ looks thoughtful for a moment. "You know, honesty is the best policy. You should just talk with him and ask what's up." She shrugs. "I'll cover you if you'd like to get it out of the way."

"My mom always tells me that honesty line. Would you really cover for me? That would be great, Jirou. It's been eating at me for almost a week now. Thank you," Deku says gratefully as he gestures to his equipment. "I'm sure you know how to use it." She laughs and nods.

Izuku makes quick work of the stairs that lead to the dance floor and sidles over to Kirishima's usual table. He taps his boyfriend on the shoulder to get his attention. Once he has it he asks, "can we chat for a few minutes?" Eijirou nods before following Deku back up the stairs and to the catwalk.

"What's up, Midoriya?"

Izuku pulls his mask down and starts, "it has recently come to my attention that you are acting kind of odd around me. My mom always tells me that honesty is the best policy and straightforward is the only real way to go. So, my question to you is, are you okay?"

Eijirou suddenly looks uncomfortable, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Your mom is probably right, if the two of you are anything alike. Listen Izuku, I've been debating on how to tell you this, but straightforward seems like it will be the best way. My feelings toward you are no longer romantic." Kirishima looks anywhere but at Deku.

The initial shock numbs his feelings. "So, are you breaking up with me?" Kirishima nods. It takes every fiber of Deku's being not to cry and instead smile. He works to keep his voice even. "That's okay, Eijirou." The mixture of guilt and surprise on Kirishima's face push him forward. "You have to do what's good for you and I would expect nothing less. I really appreciate your honesty. No hard feelings either, let's still be friends okay?" Izuku holds his hand out to Kirishima.

"You take things surprisingly well, Midoriya. Friends it is," Kirishima says in agreement and shakes Izuku's outstretched hand. Deku pulls up his mask and they part ways, Eijirou returning to his friends and Deku to Earphone Jack.

Deku turns his back to the dance floor and pulls his mask back down, revealing his tear-soaked cheeks. "He broke up with me," Izuku says, scrubbing at the wetness. "I pretended to be okay. Was that stupid of me?"

"Do you feel stupid for it?" Jirou asks, putting her headphones around her neck.

"No, not really."

"Then no, it isn't stupid. How are you really?" EJ asks, looking very serious.

Deku looks down at his shoes, "would you stay with me for the rest of the shift? I'm not sure I'll make it alone." He looks at her with fresh tears in his eyes.

"You should know by now that I always have your back," Jirou says. She picks up her phone and pokes around the screen for a moment before addressing him again. "Finish your break and then we will do this thing together, okay? Do you have any water around here?"

"It's in the mini fridge under my laptop."

Jirou pulls a couple of bottles from the fridge and gives one to Deku. "Izuku." A voice from behind him says his name. He turns to see Todoroki looking at him with concern. "Let's go sit outside." Jirou nudges him towards Todoroki and Izuku follows him mindlessly.

"What's up, Shouto?" Deku asks sitting on their usual table.

"Jirou told me you weren't doing well. I can see she isn't wrong," he says as he takes in Izuku's appearance. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"It'll get around soon enough. Kirishima broke up with me."

"Do you know why?" Todoroki asks as he sits beside Midoriya.

"He said his feelings have changed. I acted like I wasn't hurt so he didn't feel so bad for hurting my feelings. Is that dumb?" Deku asks before sipping some water.

"It is a very Midoriya thing to do actually. Heartbreak is never fun and I'm sorry you have to find out so soon," Shouto says with an awkward, stiff pat to Midoriya's back.

"I didn't know you've ever dated someone, Shouto," Deku says with surprise.

"You don't have to date someone to have your heart broken."

"Oh, I guess I never realized that," Izuku says sadly. "I'm sorry that someone broke your heart too." He leans his head against Shouto's shoulder and closes his eyes.

"They still do." Shouto leans against Deku, resting a cheek on top of his head with a sad sigh. Several minutes later break is over, and they go back to their respective areas of the club.

Izuku sniffles and pulls his face mask up again. "I'll start my new mash-up, okay?" Izuku asks EJ as he turns back to the dance floor and his laptop. He sees Kirishima shooting glances up at him every couple of minutes, but he pretends not to notice. The water that EJ gave him is a welcome distraction.

"Just like old times," Jirou reminisces out loud.

"And we still have more room here than we did back then," Izuku says wryly.

One of the best things about Toshinori is that he gives all of his student employees off for the week of finals. It is a relief to Izuku because his heartbreak has really taken a toll on his mind and body. Instead of four to six hours of sleep a night he is down to two or three. The dorm room seems suffocating so on Monday and Tuesday night, he finds himself wrapped up in a fluffy blanket and sitting in the common area on the seventh floor. All five of his final exams are finished and every part of his body and mind are absolutely exhausted. None of his friends have made a point to talk with him, just casting worried glances at him when they do see him. More than once he's seen Iida come up to the seventh floor to check on him though. It makes the feelings of sadness and abandonment even worse. Izuku's depression is at it's peak and the feeling of drowning is pulling him under quickly.

He doesn't care for food and his shower is three minutes at best. Going to the gym is not even in the cards though he does drag himself off the couch to jog with Iida on Monday morning. He does manage to put his favorite couch in an empty and mostly isolated corner of the common area even though most students are buried in the books of the library and not anywhere near the seventh floor.

Wednesday morning at 2am finds Izuku curled up on his self-claimed sofa, laptop open on his legs and phone in his hand. A sketchbook is abandoned on the back of the couch along with a tin of colored pencils and a box of tissues. The elevator chiming to announce its arrival pulls Izuku out of his reverie. He waits quietly, not moving or breathing. The person moves to the kitchen space a few feet away and Izuku recognizes them.

"Kacchan? What are you doing up so late?" He asks softly.

Katsuki freezes for a moment before turning slowly to glare at Izuku. "What the hell are you…okay?" Bakugou's annoyance turns to concern as he takes in Midoriya's red-rimmed and very tired eyes as well as the sofa setup. "Are finals really kicking your ass that hard?"

Izuku shakes his head. "I've finished all of my finals. This is the work of the infamous heartbreak."

Katsuki's shoulders slump at that. "I heard about it. After seeing you at game night on Sunday, I assumed you were okay since you were smiling so much and even talking to Kirishima. We all thought you were doing okay. The first one is always the toughest. It'll get easier." He sets work to making food.

"You've had your heart broken too?" Izuku asks.

"Yes, and no, I'm not going to talk about it. There is no Earth-shattering advice to give or lesson to be learned other than sometimes good things come to an end. Mourn it and then pick yourself back up and get back out there. You're still breathing, 'Zuku, which means tomorrow gets to be a new day for you, a better day, even if it doesn't seem like it." Katsuki doesn't even look up from the eggs he is cooking.

"That is a little Earth-shattering, Kacchan," Izuku says with a small smile.

"Now answer my question, are you okay?"

"None of my friends want to be around me it seems, my dorm is suffocating, I can't sleep, I've lost all inspiration and motivation to do my work," he gestures at his laptop and sketchbook before grabbing a tissue to capture the tears in his eyes before they can run down his cheeks. "I live on this couch and the simplest things like eating and showering just take all of the energy out of me. How does it sound like I'm doing?"

"It sounds like you're getting by," Bakugou says bringing a bowl of fried rice and vegetables to Izuku. "Eat it, choke it down, do whatever it takes to get it into your stomach. You'll thank me, Nerd." He returns a moment later with his own bowl of food and curls up at Izuku's feet on the unoccupied cushion. "Do you sleep up here?" Nod. "Do you know how dangerous that is?" Shrug. "Tch."

Izuku has minimal issues with Katsuki's fried rice, it's the first thing that has had any flavor in a couple of days. Once they both finish eating, Bakugou washes their dishes and comes back to the sofa. "How are your finals coming along Kacchan?"

"I'm done with them. They were easy. Sit up and scoot forward," he directs Midoriya who complies. Katsuki sits behind him on the couch, stretching his legs out on each side of Izuku who leans back into him. The touching alone nearly makes him cry. "What do you need help with?"

"I'm trying to make a new setlist for Fire and Ice this weekend. It's tough to find anything right now." Izuku hangs his head sadly.

"Show me how to use this," Bakugou says, pointing at the program open on the laptop. Izuku gives him a speed tutorial before letting Katsuki take over.

"Nerd, I need to ask you a very serious question."

"Hmm?"

"Where is the Daft Punk?" Katsuki asks with a scoff.

"They are DJs, Kacchan. Why would I remix other DJs?"

Katsuki starts muttering to himself as he goes through the extensive music library before it. Izuku relaxes back onto his chest as his eyes get heavy and then the darkness takes over.

Sunlight is pouring in through the blinds when Izuku opens his eyes. He lays there frozen, taking in his surroundings. There is a warm body against his back and there are legs tangled with his. Kacchan must have fallen asleep too, he realizes before he sits up straight. His laptop is neatly put away in its case and leaning against the couch. On top of it is Izuku's phone which upon inspection he finds he's been asleep for just over six hours. Katsuki has slept in much later than he usually does too.

"Kacchan, hey Kacchan," he says, shaking Katsuki's leg.

"Whatsit, 'Zuku?" He asks groggily, rubbing his eyes. "What time is it?"

"9:30am," he replies, waiting for Kacchan to jolt up and off of the couch.

"Cool, can we go to that weird ass coffee shop you work at for breakfast? What's it called, Quirky?" Bakugou asks as he sits up behind Izuku.

"Quirffee," Izuku says with a giggle. "That sounds like a plan to me. I need to drop my stuff off in my room and get a shower, I guess." Spending time with Kacchan is helping keep him distracted which he is thankful for and he isn't ready for it to stop yet.

They stop by Katsuki's room to get his necessities and then to Izuku's room for the same thing. Midoriya tries to rush through his shower as is the new normal, but Kacchan puts a stop to it, going as far to threaten Izuku that they will shower together if he doesn't wash thoroughly. The breakfast at Quirffee is tasteless and light, but he eats all of it, so he doesn't disappoint Katsuki who paid for it. The line of how far he'll go to spend time with his childhood friend is drawn at Katsuki's suggestion of going to the gym.

"Come on, Nerd, you don't have to work out. Just spot me, okay?" The look of hope on Bakugou's face has him nodding in agreement.

It isn't until he sees himself in the mirrors at the gym that he realizes just how terrible he looks. Dark circles have formed around his eyes which stand out even more against his now pale skin and his curls hang limply around his face.

"Yeah, I hear you, Shitty Hair. Whatever floats your boat," Izuku hears Katsuki say distantly. It pulls him back to the present and he can see Kirishima's reflection looking at him. "Oi, Deku, you are being a bad gym friend," Katsuki says lightheartedly.

"Sorry Kacchan," he mumbles quietly, moving to stand at Katsuki's head. Izuku flashes a tired smile at Kirishima who nods with a small, unsure smile.

"Finals?" Eijirou asks.

"They've been hell," Izuku answers with a dry laugh. Katsuki grunts his disapproval at Midoriya's lie but doesn't say anything else.

"I have to say I'm glad that I'm not an Honors student. It seems really exhausting," Kirishima says with a nervous laugh.

"It can be, but the full scholarship is worth it," Izuku says, covering his mouth as he yawns and then stretches. "I will graduate with no debt, so I can run myself down for that."

"That would be worth it. And you get those sweet dorms," Kirishima adds. Checking his watch, he adds, "I should get back to work. Is game night still a go?"

"Yep, last one of the semester. Be there, you square," Izuku says evenly.

"Yes sir," Kirishima answers with a salute before marching away.

"That was exhausting," Izuku comments to Bakugou.

For the next two nights, Kacchan stays with him on the couch and pushes for him to get through his day. Izuku is grateful to Katsuki for it. He begins to feel slightly better, even going as far as showing Katsuki how to mix, remix, and layer the playlist he created. Friday morning shines through the window and illuminates Izuku's sketchbook in orange light. He is shading and coloring a picture of Katsuki he has just drawn. Kacchan is still fast asleep on the couch. Despite his mind telling him that the drawing is just a waste of time, he can't help but take pride in the way he drew Katsuki's pajama pants sitting low on his hip and the way the sunlight is highlighted on the blonde bedhead that Bakugou is rocking this morning.

"Are you done yet?" Kacchan grumps at him, opening his eyes.

"How long have you been awake?" Izuku asks, putting his pencils away.

"Long enough. Can I see?" He gestures to Izuku's sketchbook. He hands it to Katsuki and goes about packing up his things.

"This is really damn good, 'Zuku. You've improved a lot since I last saw your drawings." He hands the book back.

"I have work today. Toshinori said it is a very important weekend and he has the best news for me. I could do with some good news," Izuku mumbles to himself. "Thank you for everything, Kacchan. The past couple of days have been about as normal as normal can be right now and it's all because of you."

"You're welcome, Nerd." They go about their normal morning routine and Kacchan tells him to have a good day at work.

"I will," Izuku says with a smile, giving Katsuki a quick hug before leaving to One for All.


	10. Sometimes Good Things Never Start

"Good morning, Toshinori. How are you doing?" Izuku says before yawning. When he opens his eyes, he realizes that there are more people than just Toshinori looking at him. Ochako, Tsuyu, Shouto, and Tenya are all looking at him with concern. "You said today is a special day. Are you hosting a heartbreak intervention? I swear I really am okay," Izuku rambles for a moment.

"You look deathly, Deku," Ochako pipes up.

"Would you believe me if I said this is me on the mend? I'll be looking even better by the time I go to Fire and Ice tonight, trust me. I get to be in two of my favorite places today, things can only look up from here. So, does this conclude the intervention?" Izuku asks.

"They aren't here for an intervention, Young Midoriya. They are here to celebrate with you, if you accept, that is." Toshi steps out from behind the reception counter and comes face to face with Izuku. "I told you that today is special and important. It really is too. The first thing I want to offer you is a promotion. I would like to make you head manager of Quirffee. I only ever do it on my own, but to be honest with you, I could really use a helping hand. Naturally we can work together around your schedule and hammer out the finer details to our liking later. If you accept." Toshinori explains before trailing off and waiting.

Manager at Quirffee? It couldn't be too much more difficult than his position now. He has occasionally helped with inventory and scheduling already so why not put a title on it? "I accept. Thank you for this opportunity," Izuku replies with a smile and a small bow. His friends break into cheers and clapping.

"That is a relief. I know you work hard and often, so I was nervous you would think it was too much. I have a second piece of good news for you. I'm taking you off of your unpaid apprenticeship here at One for All and you are now a paid tattoo artist. You remind me of myself so much and to be frank with you, you've taught this old dog some new tricks along the way this past year. You are more than ready to be on your own here. Do you accept?" Toshi finishes, looking slightly nervous again.

"I will accept as long as you still come in to hover over me sometimes because I enjoy your company," Izuku answers with a genuine smile.

"It's a deal."

Izuku's friends cheer again and take turns hugging everyone in the vicinity, including Shinsou who chose to walk in at that moment. He simply looks dismayed at the entire ordeal. Asui produces some cupcakes and juice which they all enjoy while the shop is free of customers. They catch up about finals and Izuku's time on the couch. He tells them about his time with Kacchan and everyone apologizes for not realizing just how deeply he was hurting.

"Ochako and I have a proposal we've been debating on pitching to all of you. Naturally for Honors students, all aspects of schooling are paid for since you receive such large scholarships, but for the two of us it is rather expensive." Asui pauses for a moment, looking at Ochako who gives her an encouraging nod. "We are thinking about renting one of the university houses near campus, but we could use some roommates to make the rent cheaper. Since it is still through the school, your scholarships will pay your share which will be cheaper than the dorm rooms in the long run."

"How many people can fit in one house?" Iida asks.

"Six. They are three-bedroom houses with oversized bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a few common living areas," Ochako answers.

"Do you suppose we could ask Kacchan too? Or did you have someone else in mind?" Izuku chimes in.

"If you three agreed then we were going to have you ask him, Midoriya," Asui answers sheepishly.

"How about all six of us sit down before game night on Sunday and discuss all of the things we need to discuss? Bring your questions and concerns and we will go from there, okay?" Shouto deadpans to the group. Everyone agrees and Izuku's friends depart with hugs and waves.

"You have some of the best friends," Toshinori comments to Izuku.

"They really are some of the greatest people I know," he agrees, eyes shining with happiness.

"Now Midoriya, as I told you when I first brought you in as an apprentice, each other person that finishes their apprenticeship with me, gets to give me a tattoo. Something that represents you, not me, so I can keep it forever. As you've seen, my other apprentices still tried to make their work represent me despite my instructions. Start working on some sketches and ideas when you can. Please don't make them any bigger than four inches by four inches." Toshinori instructs him as he checks the appointment book.

"I will do my absolute best," Izuku answers.

"It looks like you have a hip tattoo at noon, so fifteen minutes from now, and a shoulder piece at 3:30pm. Welcome to your first paid day at One for All, go get set up."

Izuku's excitement nearly buzzes as much as his tattoo gun. This is certainly some of the best news and he has to really focus on his work, though it is with much difficulty. Starting out, artists of any type don't tend to make much money and with Izuku's expenses being minimal, the more he works the more he saves. He shouldn't be too bad off when he graduates college. In high school, Izuku had done dual credit learning which mean he attended college while in high school and graduated with both a diploma and an Associates of Arts and Sciences degree. Regardless, he still has three years at AMU, he won't stop until he brings home a Master of Fine Arts degree for his mother to rejoice over.

His first paid shift goes smoothly and soon enough he is exchanging his usual pleasantries with Camie and going to his stage. Izuku has decided that he will not bring his personal problems to his DJ stage. This space is for positivity only. He has two hours before his shift starts and he decidedly changes into his clothes and makes his rounds to chat with people. He starts with Fuyumi.

"Hey Deku," she greets him from her seat at the desk in the office. "Do you need something?"

Deku notes how tired she look before shaking his head. "I came to see how you are doing. Do you need help with anything?"

Even her smile is tired. "Is that a genuine offer or just a pleasantry?"

"Genuine."

"Could you take the next hour to clean up around the club? Monoma quit today, I had to fire Mineta, and there are so many empty cups and dirty tables as well as overflowing trash. My mind just can't take it on right now. I could really use the help before this place gets busy." Izuku could understand better than anyone just how taxing life could get and so he never minds helping other's out where he can.

"Just leave it to me. I can work twice as hard as both of them in a single hour than they could the whole weekend," Deku replies as he pulls his mask up and hustles away.

The mess doesn't seem so bad if you work in order. Throw trash away, wipe down surfaces, take trash out, stop and say hello to club goers, and repeat. Deku is a cleaning machine as he even takes the time to stock the bars, finishing with Todoroki's on the second floor.

"Shouto, are you having fun tonight? Have you checked in with Fuyumi? She is stressed out," Deku says as he puts lemon slices in a garnish container.

"I talked with her. I told her that Mineta was a terrible hire, little pervert." He doesn't even try to hide his disgust. "Monoma is just too self-absorbed to work here."

"Aoyama is self-absorbed, and he flourishes behind the bar," Izuku points out.

"Two different types of self-absorption, Midoriya," Shouto replies, back to his deadpan.

"I digress. See you later." His last stop is Earphone Jack.

"Are you feeling any better, Deku?" She asks as he approaches.

"I'm better than I thought I would be. How are you doing? You changed up your style of music again," Deku says, watching her work seemingly with no effort.

"I'm really good. I've been playing with some different layering techniques, so I thought I would give it a try while the club wasn't packed. Did you bring anything new to wow the crowd?" Jirou pauses to look at him.

"Yeah, well," Izuku says, pausing to rub the back of his neck. "While I was taking my heartbreak days this week, Kacchan kept me company. In the process, he made my setlist and even helped me mix and layer it. I think it's well made so I'm going to use it," he finishes nervously as he starts questioning his decision.

"I'm sure it's good if you had a hand in it. Good luck!" With that, Deku makes sure he is put together as he steps out to hook up and start his music. The club is filling up now, with finals week being over it is time for the students to relax and socialize before going home for summer break.

As Deku scans Katsuki's playlist he stops doubting himself and starts wondering about Kacchan. As someone as explosive-looking as him, with the attitude to match, how does he like such bass-heavy music? Izuku rarely judges anyone for anything, but he is slightly judging Kacchan. Lil Wayne? Tech N9ne? Lil Jon? Beyonce? Deku hadn't given it much thought when he was teaching Katsuki on the couch, but now he couldn't help but chuckle a little. Kacchan is always full of surprises.

All the same, the dance floor is loving the setlist, bodies moving together to the thrum of the bass. Many of the faces in the crowd are familiar to him now, a good amount flash smiles his way and a few of them even wave to him. When he first started at Fire and Ice, he was almost too anxious to even watch the crowd in front of him. He is confident now though; the club feels like home.

Izuku gets three consecutive days off of work each week so he can spend time with his mother and have some free time to himself. The other four days are spent learning his manager duties at Quirffee, going to One for All when he gets a scheduled appointment, and as always, Fire and Ice on Friday and Saturday nights. Most of the business is measurably slower since few students stay at AMU for summer semester and in turn Izuku has more free time than he knows what to do with. Luckily for him, the answer comes in the form of a fiery, blonde male who happens to also be his neighbor.

"Good morning, Kacchan," Izuku says lazily as Bakugou jogs past him. He barely glances at the shorter man before doing a double take and stopping.

"What the hell are you doing up so early, Nerd?" He asks as he eyes the sketchbook tucked under Midoriya's arm and a small tin of pencils in his hand.

"I can't sleep so I thought I would go to the overlook and try to find something to sketch. Since it rained all night and it's so cool outside, I bet the mist in the valley will be beautiful." Izuku looks embarrassed as he says it.

"I'll meet you there," Kacchan says before jogging off.

It isn't that odd for Izuku to be awake at 6am, Kacchan should know that. The overlook is located off one of the many hiking paths that branch out of the park on the edge of town. Izuku spent many hours there trying to get away from Katsuki when he was in a particular mood to go beyond the normal level of hell he put Izuku through.

After a rather rough day in middle school, he had just run for it, away from Kacchan and away from his problems. He made it to his safe haven and stood there in one of the gaps between the trees lining the cliff. The tears in his eyes disappeared and he took in a deep breath, smelling the damp soil and vegetation around him. The trickle of the creek behind him helps slow his rapid heartbeat and the sight of the green trees in the valley below him look so serene and beautiful.

"Izuku! What are you doing?! Get back from there!" Katsuki's voice had pulled Izuku back to his mind and body. How had he gotten so close to the edge? Why was he thinking about how peaceful that jump would have been? How could he wonder if death would be better than the empty life he was living? Kacchan grabbed his wrist and yanked him away from the edge. "What were you thinking?" Izuku decided not to answer but flinched instead, waiting for a hit that never came. Almost every time that Izuku went to that place, Kacchan was there, just watching him. The bullying had lightened up just a little and Kacchan stopped altogether when they went to separate high schools. He never disliked Katsuki for what he did, Izuku understood his home life was rough and that bullying Izuku was just how he took control of a situation he had no control over. He just told himself that at least it wasn't some random kid who had no idea what was going on. The day Kacchan had pulled him from the edge was both the first and last time Izuku had ever thought about jumping.

Asphalt giving way to soft dirt pulls Izuku back to the present. His subconscious had led him to the trail. It isn't a rigorous hike by any means, the incline is steady and slow. Half way to the spot, Izuku notices fresh shoe prints in the damp ground and he knows Kacchan will be waiting for him when he gets there.

He isn't disappointed when he arrives. Katsuki is sitting on his jacket near the edge, looking out over the valley as the sun begins to peek over the horizon. The hazy orange makes Kacchan glow and Izuku quietly sits on his own jacket, enjoying the cool humidity that kisses his skin, and softly pulling out all of his warm colored pencils and a black pencil too.

On a clean page, Izuku takes the black pencil and draws Kacchan's outline with sure strokes and bold lines before coloring him in completely with the black pencil. Using red, orange, and yellow, he adds in the vegetation and ground in the most exquisite manner around Katsuki's silhouette. Izuku fishes out a deep green to add in a small sliver of horizon in the background and adds in a glowing orange sun with a mixture of orange and pink to show it rising.

"Are you done yet?" Bakugou asks without looking at him.

A smile tugs at the corners of Izuku's mouth. He flips to a new page in his book before he relocates himself to sit beside his friend. "I'm not done just yet," he answers, grabbing his most trusty sketching pencil. Almost every artist has one, it's the pencil that feels like an extension of not just your hand, but your mind too. He starts his line work and shading again. The trees below them have rivers of mist twisting between them. He does everything in a gray scale except wherever the sunlight touches in the valley, then the objects are edged with orange and red. The tendrils of mist are done with a pearlescent white pencil.

"Now you can have this place while we're at school," Katsuki says as he looks over Izuku's drawing, he would never admit that he is impressed, but his face says it loud enough. "Even though we've changed after all this time, this place never does. It almost seems nostalgic," Bakugou says as he stretches out his back.

"Bittersweet," Izuku suggests quietly.

"Explain."

"I, uh, you know," Izuku trails off nervously.

"No, I don't know," Katsuki says with irritation. "Spit it out."

"I was, ugh, gosh, I was going to jump," he forces out before lowering his voice and looking at the ground. "That day you pulled me away from the ledge. You saved me, Kacchan."

"I was terrified that you were going to. I panicked and just moved as quickly as I could. I constantly checked here after that, even in high school. Some days you weren't here at all and other days I just sat back and watched you to make sure you were okay." It seemed Katsuki couldn't bring himself to look at Izuku either.

"Thank you, Kacchan. You didn't have to do that but thank you. I never intended to worry you," Izuku says, watching the sun rise hire.

"Losing you scared me to the point of paranoia for a while. I've depended on you to be there for me, even as terrible as I was to you. You're the one person who has been solid in my life," Bakugou says truthfully.

Izuku looks at Katsuki and in the literal blink of an eye, he is on his back, his head cradled in Kacchan's hands as the blond puts his weight on his elbows on either side of Izuku's head. "I just need to know," Katsuki breathes quietly. Its unclear which one truly initiated the kiss, but it didn't matter.

It starts slow and chaste, feeling out each other's movements. When Izuku cocks his head to the side it deepens the kiss and he releases a content sigh that Kacchan absorbs and returns with a dip of his tongue into Deku's soft mouth. Izuku takes the opportunity to slide his fingers through spikey blonde locks that are enjoyably soft to the touch. By the time they surface for air, both men are gasping and flushed to the tips of their ears.

"Does that answer your curiosity?" Izuku asks with a smirk.

"Maybe one more, just to make sure." Is the reply.

"Kachnnn," is all Midoriya can manage as his lips become occupied again. Surfacing once more, Izuku asks, "how about now?"

"Spend the day with me." It isn't a question and Izuku doesn't argue.

They both sit up and dust off. "What are we doing today?"

"Watching movies at your house," Katsuki answers, helping Izuku to his feet.

"Mom will be thrilled," he replies with some amusement. They gather their things and head back towards town. The silence between them is comfortable as they walk. Kacchan excuses himself for a shower and some new clothes when they get back to their neighborhood. Izuku says he'll be waiting and they part ways.

"Hey Mom, I'm going to get a quick shower. Kacchan is going to be over soon to hang out," he says quickly, kissing her on the cheek before rushing up the stairs.

"I'll make some snacks," Inko yells up the stairs after him.

He speeds through his shower and puts on lounge pants and an AMU shirt. Izuku dashes down the stairs to the kitchen to wait for Bakugou. "Thank you for the snacks, Mom," he says as he sits at the counter.

"You're welcome, 'Zuku. What spurred on the sudden visit from Bakugou?" She asks, raising an eyebrow.

It nearly makes him break into a sweat as he thinks about kissing Kacchan. "W-we have m-mended our fr-friendship, mostly." He breathes out a sigh as his mom gives him a wide smile.

"I'm glad to hear that. You always have the best heart," Inko says as she finishes up the snacks and drinks and gestures for Izuku to take them upstairs with her. As they sit them out on his desk, there is a knock on the door downstairs.

"I've got it," he says excitedly, bounding out the door and down the stairs. When he reaches the bottom of the stairs he slows down and straightens his hair and clothes, trying to hide his excitement. He goes to the front door and opens it. "Hello Kacchan."

"Hey Nerd," Katsuki replies as he steps into the apartment. He leaves his shoes by the door and follows Izuku into the apartment. It hasn't changed in a long time. "Auntie Inko," he greets her in the doorway of the kitchen.

"It's nice to see you, Katsuki. You've certainly grown up since I last saw you." She takes in his sweatpants and black tank top.

"Thank you for having me," he answers politely.

"You're always welcome here." Inko pats his cheek before Izuku leads him up to his room.

"Don't you dare say anything," Katsuki huffs out as Izuku shuts the door.

"That's fine with me," he says, caressing Kacchan's cheek before stealing a kiss.

"Cheeky," Katsuki says, suppressing a smile. He would never admit to liking it, no sir. "What brilliant masterpiece of a movie do you have planned for us today?" Bakugou asks, grabbing a bottle of water and a few pretzels before settling onto Izuku's bed against the wall.

"Only the finest of action movies. It offers fiery explosions, high-speed car chases, and lots of falling from high places for no real reason. Does that sound appetizing?" Izuku answers as he settles next to Kacchan, slipping under the blanket before leaning against the wall behind him. He pushes play on the remote, but he finds himself focusing on the warm body leaning into him more and more rather than the TV.

Izuku never really considered Kacchan in a romantic way before. Sure, he checked his friend out often, but never as anything more. The kiss was weird at first just because it was Kacchan, but it was warm and inviting. He wants to kiss him more, to explore him more thoroughly. Getting to know Katsuki on a deeper level is on his list of things to do.

"Your room has changed since we were kids. All of your nerdy collectibles are gone. You've got all of this art stuff everywhere now, and your room smells like a crayon," Katsuki says from his place on Izuku's chest.

"I grew up, Kacchan," he replies with a shrug.

"It's like I don't even know you anymore." He almost sounds rueful.

"Just because we had play dates when we were kids, so our moms could catch up doesn't mean we were best friends," Izuku reasons to him.

"Tch. Whatever." Katsuki stares straight at the movie. "Can we go on a real date?"

Izuku can't believe his ears. There is no way Kacchan just asked him out on a date. He's been deceived, he must be, and yet he finds himself saying, "yes."

"Really?" Katsuki sits up, looking surprised as he eyes the other man. "You'll go on a date with me?"

"Yes, I'll go on a date with you," Izuku says with a smile. The smile is deceptive though, he feels fear deep down in his chest. Fear that this too will end badly. He was told to get up and get back out there so he will.

"Toshinori, guess what?" Izuku asks excitedly, rolling himself from his workspace to the front desk. Toshi just looks at him with a smile. "The house has been approved. We move in to it in two weeks."

"That is excellent news Midoriya, congrats. Have you figured out who you are rooming with yet?"

"Yes, we just had a meeting on Wednesday. Uraraka led it, she even had a plastic cup that she intended to use as a gavel." Deku looks entertained by the memory. "Iida and Todoroki are sharing the bedroom in the basement, Asui and Uraraka are together in one of the upstairs bedrooms, and Kacchan and I are sharing the other one."

"Did she ever get to use her gavel cup?" Toshinori really has his priorities straight.

"Unfortunately, no, but this story leads me into the next piece of information," Deku teases, waggling his eyebrows.

"I'm invested now," Toshi says, leaning in closer.

"Kacchan took me on a date," he says in a hushed voice. "We went on a picnic and had lunch that he had cooked. He makes the best food. My crush on his food rivals the crush I have on him."

"How did it go?" Toshi leans back in his chair looking genuinely interested.

"He and I aren't going to force it. We both agree it's a little strange between us right now, considering our history. And he told me that he is caught up between liking me and someone else. He says it would be unfair to lead me on. It stung a little bit, but he can take his time to decide. For now, the cuddles and kisses are enough," Izuku concludes.

"It makes me feel old, watching you grow up and mature so quickly," Toshi laments.

"It's only been a year. I have plenty of time to make you feel old," he teases.

"Young Midoriya, you wound this old man with such jests."

That did not last long at all. Izuku can't even seem to comprehend the mess that is in his head. How did he end up here in another roommate meeting at the dining room table?

Move in day had arrived quickly. Everyone was a in a flurry, running in and out of the house, up and down flights of stairs. The common areas got decorated and everyone worked until they got their belongings unpacked and organized. Their first roommate dinner together was ramen from a takeout shop a few blocks away.

That night was spent cuddled up with Kacchan in Izuku's bed. Small kisses were exchanged as they talked, the conversation is heartfelt and deep. The free days were spent with Katsuki watching Izuku draw anything and everything that tickled his creativity.

They have only just made it through their first week in classes when Kacchan comes in, anger radiating off of him. Izuku weighs his options for dealing with the angry blonde. He settles on getting up and closing the door before asking what is wrong.

Katsuki glares daggers at him. "I'm pissed off, Shitty Nerd." The name rolls off of Izuku's shoulders, he is used to it. He is not, however, used to Katsuki grabbing him by the shirt and pushing him against the wall. The kiss is all lips and tongue, fiery and passionate but yet pained. It shocks him to see tears in the corners of Bakugou's eyes.

"Kacchan?"

"I wanted it so desperately," Katsuki whispers, resting his forehead against Izuku's. "I very much wanted it to be you, Izuku." Everything suddenly makes sense to him. His heart has made its choice and Izuku is not it. "This isn't fucking fair." Katsuki pushes away from him and paces the room. That wasn't pain in the kiss, it was desperation and then confirmation.

"Who is it?" Izuku isn't sure he really wants to know.

"What?" Kacchan pauses his stomping to look at him.

"Who is the lucky guy?"

The anger fades and is quickly replaced by discomfort. "Better just to shoot straight with you I guess. It's uh, Kirishima."

That is a punch to the gut. It effectively rips open the old wounds in his heart which brings tears to his eyes. He can tell the hurt shows on his face because Katsuki is beside him very quickly, leading him to sit on the side of Izuku's bed. "I never meant for it to happen and definitely not like this," he starts in, discomfort changing to worry.

The quiet between them stretches on for a long time. Katsuki has his face in his hands and Izuku has a hand clamped over his mouth to stop the muttering as his brain shifts into a higher gear of thinking. After a long time, he makes up his mind and decides to stick to it.

"Kacchan?" He asks testily. Red eyes pierce his, waiting for the judgment to rain down on him. "If you are going to be seeing Kirishima, I can't be your roommate." Katsuki looks pained but nods all the same. 'You always have the best heart.' Izuku tumbles his mom's words around in his mind for a moment before speaking again. "Do you remember the conversation we had after Kirishima broke up with me? You told me that sometimes good things come to an end."

"Yeah, I remember," Katsuki mumbles quietly.

"Sometimes they don't get to begin either, and that's okay too." Izuku pulls Katsuki to him, having him rest his head on Izuku's shoulder. He slips his fingers through the soft blonde spikes before kissing them. "We will just have to pick ourselves up again, dust ourselves off, and get back out there."

Izuku lays both of them on his bed, wrapping his arms tightly around Katsuki and just lets them both cool down. He hums for a while before singing, "Oh, won't you stay with me. 'Cause you're all I need. This ain't love, it's clear to see. But darling, stay with me. Oh, wont you stay with me. 'Cause you're all I need. This ain't love its clear to see. But darling. Stay with me." He would patch up his own wounds later, for now he would patch up Kacchan.

"No one deserves you, 'Zuku. You're way too good for anyone to be worthy of your heart."

That is how Izuku finds himself sat at the dining table with all of his roommates, Uraraka at the head of the table with her gavel cup.

"We all know why we are here," Ochako starts off, glaring at Bakugou. She had taken the news of Katsuki's new love interest nearly worse than Izuku, acting as if he had attacked her personally. "Because of irreconcilable differences, we need to shuffle roommates."

Iida raises his hand and patiently waits for Uraraka to call on him. When she does he says, "I am willing to switch rooms with Midoriya. My apologies to Todoroki, but I am unable to handle the lack of sunlight in the basement. It is making my sleep schedule go haywire and my energy level is going down."

"Does Midoriya approve of the switch?" Ochako asks, looking to Izuku.

"Yes," he answers.

"Does Bakugou approve of the switch?"

"Yeah, whatever."

"Does Todoroki approve of the switch?" She looks at Shouto who nods his agreement. Ochako doesn't bother hiding her glee at the use of her gavel cup as she slams it on the table and dismisses everyone.

The move from upstairs to the basement is not full of energy and excitement. To Izuku it feels like a walk of shame. The only difference is that instead of it just being him, it's a group of people. Ochako, Shouto, and Tenya move things to the upstairs landing while Tsu, Izuku, and Katsuki move things to the basement living room. With the exception of bumping into each other on the stairs, the entire ordeal goes smoothly and by the end of the day, Izuku is laying on his bed in the basement bedroom.


	11. Frat Party

The living situation with Shouto isn't really bad by any means. They both work at Fire and Ice on the weekends so Izuku doesn't have to tiptoe around the adjoining living space in the basement. He can also do his homework and studying there so he doesn't keep Shouto awake. The basement consists of a bathroom that they share. There is a kitchenette that has a sink, Shouto's microwave, Izuku's toaster oven, and both men have their mini refrigerators there as well. A small living area is right outside of the bedroom and hosts both of their desks, a book case, and a small couch with a coffee table in the middle of the room. A corner is taken up by Izuku's DJ equipment and his art supplies.

All of Izuku's classes for the semester involve one art medium or another including Painting II, Intermediate Drawing, Pottery I, and Life Drawing I. After ruining one of his favorite t-shirts with acrylic paint, Izuku set up another day to go shopping with Momo so he could get clothes to ruin.

"I have to say Midoriya, this is the first time I've seen someone buy clothes just to trash them," Momo says one Sunday afternoon.

"I ruined my favorite band t-shirt. That in and of itself is a crime. I can't believe I made such a rookie mistake and didn't put an apron on." His voice is salty, and his face is set in a pout.

"Are we going to pick up game night again soon? I have been practicing MtG all summer. I even built a new deck that I'm eager to debut," she says excitedly.

"To be honest with you, I'm having a hard time," Izuku admits awkwardly.

"Let's get a soft pretzel to soothe your soul and we'll sit down so you can talk about it," Momo says, directing them to the food court of the mall. Once they have their food they sit at a table and Momo looks at him intently. "Go on."

"Well, uh, I have a hard time seeing Kirishima with Kacchan. That makes me apprehensive to have a game night which isn't fair to everyone else and that fact makes me feel worse about the entire situation," Izuku admits. Though he knows his friends love and care for him unconditionally, Izuku has been having a hard time admitting his feelings to any of his roommates. Something about Momo just makes him feel safe.

"The break up with Kirishima really got to you," she says quietly.

"The one with Kacchan too," he replies just as quietly.

"I didn't know about Bakugou."

"No one does," he says pointedly. Momo nods in understanding. They eat in silence for a while before she speaks again.

"How is it to see them together at your house?" She asks.

"It makes me feel sad. The first time it happened, it was the day I messed up my shirt, so I started crying because why not just have a shit day, you know? When they saw me they both seemed at a loss for words and I felt really dumb, so I gestured at the paint on my shirt before I ran to my room. Isn't that just stupid? Now I just hide in the basement all the time." Izuku smiles to himself. "No use in crying over spilled paint."

"Sure there is, that stuff can be expensive," she says, laughing as Izuku giggles. "If I'm being honest with you, I think you should tell Kirishima how you've been feeling. You worry about everyone else when you need to take care of yourself first. How can you fix other people when you are broken? Your repairs on other people won't be very effective if you aren't okay."

"As Kacchan would say, that is some Earth-shattering advice. Thank you."

Izuku does heed Yaoyorozu's advice, texting Kirishima to see if he would be free to meet up for coffee at Quirffee on Tuesday. He agrees and before anyone can blink it's Tuesday. He clocks out at 10am and brings Kirishima an Americano to their table.

"What would you like to talk about, Midoriya?" Kirishima asks as he looks around nervously.

"I really just need to clear the air with you." Which is precisely what Izuku does. He tells Eijirou about how he really felt when they broke up and his misery on the couch. The look on the redhead's face tells him that he feels awful about it. He goes on to talk about his summer with Kacchan and how that heartbreak came to be. Kirishima looks surprised but stays quiet. The chat with Momo is brought up and he concludes with them sitting where they are now.

"Midoriya, I had no idea about any of that," he says.

"No one did and most still don't, but I really do want us to be friends," Izuku replies with a soft smile.

"So do I." Kirishima offers his hand to Izuku who takes it and shakes it.

"I really do feel better. I should go shopping with Momo more often." They both laugh.

"I've been meaning to talk to you as well, but when I saw you at the house the other day and you were crying I just couldn't bring myself to face you. I, um, joined a fraternity. I'm a Beta now," Kirishima announces.

"Congratulations! That's one of the top fraternities on campus."

"Well, we are having a frat party on Friday and I know it is short notice so if you say no it's okay because I should've asked before now, but the guys were wondering if maybe you would DJ there for little while? They are offering to pay you too." He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly.

That proposal is rather surprising to him. In the time since starting at Fire and Ice he had never taken a day off. Could he even take a day off? What would DJing a frat party even entail? "Let me make a quick call," Izuku says, standing up quickly and excusing himself out the door. The call to Fuyumi is much quicker and more painless than he expected it to be. Telling him it was about time he acted like a college student and took a weekend to himself. He insisted it was only Friday night, leaving out the frat party details. Reassuring her that he would be back on Saturday night, they said their goodbyes and Izuku returns to a nervous looking Kirishima. "We are all clear for Friday night," he says, flashing an encouraging smile at Eijirou.

"All right! That is so manly," he replies back happily. "So, what do you need for your setup?"

Izuku goes through his needs for outlets, tables, a certain amount of space, no drinks too close to his equipment, and what type of music would they be interested in, adding that he can also do requests. Eijirou takes notes in his phone and tells him that he will ask around about music and send him a text. They part ways with a "manly" hug as Eijirou says, and for once it feels like a weight has been lifted off of Izuku's shoulders.

"Hey Izuku?" There is a knock on his office door. It isn't solely his office, he shares it with Toshinori, but at the present moment he is doing inventory for coffee beans so it's his office right now. Ochako pokes her head in through the door. "Did you get invited to the Beta frat party? Kirishima just texted out a group invite." She wiggles her phone and looks at him with an unsure grimace.

"He and I had coffee yesterday and, uh, I'm DJing the frat party," Izuku says with a guilty smile.

"Why am I always left in the dark?" She pouts before closing the office door.

Instead of an invitation, Izuku receives a list of individual songs, general genres, and a few artists. He replies back with several different emojis including smiley faces, music notes, and thumbs up. Everything requested is music he usually plays at the club, so his Friday night wouldn't be too difficult after all.

Izuku and the rest of his friends show up just as the party really begins to draw people in. They show their invites at the door with the exception of Izuku who is already dressed as Deku and carrying his equipment. He is easily recognized and escorted into a large room that could hold about sixty bodies squeezed into it. In a corner next to the large, decorative fireplace, there are two tables set up in the shape of an L. There is just enough room for Deku to squeeze between one table and the wall. The entire setup is slightly raised and Deku nods his approval to a few of the frat guys who have gathered to check on him.

"It's perfect guys, thank you," he says from behind his mask as he unzips his bags.

"Ayyy!" All of them yell together, throwing their hands in the air. "He speaks!" A random voice yells from the group. Eijirou comes into the party room, as Deku has dubbed it in his mind, at that moment.

Kirishima raises his eyebrows in surprise as he walks over. "He is normally silent to people he is unfamiliar with."

Deku shrugs and says, "it's a party, I kind of have to be social." He pulls his mask partway down and holds up a cord. "Could you plug this in right about here?" He points to a general vicinity at the back of his sound board. "It'll only fit in one over there so just guess, please." Kirishima laughs as he plugs the cord in and gives a thumbs up to Deku. He gives Eijirou a smile before pulling his mask up again.

"We trust your judgment, Deku," the pack of frat guys yell from the doorway to the kitchen. The setting up of equipment doesn't take long and soon enough he is flitting around his laptop to decide on a song to start the night off right. He settles on a classic. Cheers ripple from a few people throughout the house and Deku slips his headphones on as he taps his foot to the bass that is vibrating in the floor. Slowly, people migrate to the party room as he slips through a few different songs. Within the hour, he has people with their hands in the air, hips swinging freely, and bodies bouncing to the beat. His friends drop by to say hey and bring him a variety of drinks. Deku doesn't get drunk because he knows he won't be a good entertainer if he does that, but he lets himself drink enough to feel warm and fuzzy all over.

"Deku!" Ochako shouts over the music. "Come dance with us for a minute!" He gestures to his stuff as if to say, 'I can't leave this stuff unattended'. "Just right here in front of your table!"

He relinquishes his reluctance, finishing a drink as green as his hair that tastes like a watermelon blow pop sucker. Queueing up a selection that won't require his attention, he slips out to the sliver of dance floor that his friends have claimed. One thing Izuku insisted upon when he was learning to DJ was that he learned some dance moves to hype the crowd up and over the past couple of years he has picked up even more moves from the crowds in clubs. This is a fact he is thankful for as he swings his hips and works his feet in a manner that seems effortless. Uraraka steps her way in front of Izuku and grinds herself against him. This isn't an uncommon occurrence by any means, but it is the first time that he looks down and notices the curve of her ass and back. It makes a heat deep in his abdomen stir, but before he can process it, she is dancing back to Asui. Deku shoves the issue to the back of his mind and dances past Kirishima who cheers and works his shoulders to the bass, arms raised over his head and a toothy grin plastered on his face. The old song fades into a new one.

The rest of Deku's liquid courage kicks in as he finds himself in front of Kaminari. He testily grinds his ass against the front of the blonde and receives a grind back. 'Perfect' is what his fuzzy mind supplies, and his body moves before he can think. He hooks his right hand around the back of Kaminari's neck and anchors his left one to the blonde's hip. Deku arches his back and gyrates his hips, pushing his ass into a grind against Kaminari's groin. He rolls his body from his abdomen to his hips and then his knees before rolling back up. Warm hands grip his waist and it's like electric crawls under his skin. He leans his back into the blonde's chest and adds a rhythmical bounce to his steps as he sways his hips from side to side. All too soon the song is fading and Deku knows he has to get back to his position at the table, so he releases Kaminari and excuses himself. He finds that he isn't embarrassed by his actions despite the glances he occasionally catches from Iida, Uraraka, and even Kirishima.

The party isn't really winding down when Deku wraps up for the night, but one of the frat guys hooks up an iPod to a sound system to keep the music going. Izuku packs up his things and Kirishima shows him a closet under the stairs where he can safely store it. Another green drink is pushed into his hands by Ochako and they stand together to observe the party.

"It's hot in here," Izuku says, breaking the silence. "I'm going to step outside." Ochako nods and he goes through the kitchen and out the backdoor. He wanders out past the pool and hot tub to a large, grassy area that is vacant. The moon is full and illuminates everything in front of him. Just as he starts to think how beautiful it would be to paint the landscape before him, he hears voices behind him.

"Are you the DJ?" Izuku turns to see two silhouettes. According to the voices and body builds, both are male.

"Yes, I am," he replies simply.

The other man speaks up. "Where do you get off flaunting that faggot dancing? It's disgusting you fucking queer."

The slurs shock Izuku into silence which gives the bigger of the two guys a chance to speak. "All of you fags should have that queer shit beat out of you so we'll do the world a favor and start with you."

Mind quickly coming back online, Deku begins to look for escape routes. The entire backyard is fenced in with privacy fence that is too tall for him to jump. The two men are closing in on him quickly, so he goes with the only other viable option. Sizing both of them up he determines that going for the bigger one first is his best option. The two men must be drunk because when the bigger guy throws a punch, Izuku dodges it easily. He misses the fact that the dude threw a second punch. It catches him in the side and has him buckling his knees. Izuku ignores the pain in favor of throwing a straight jab to Big Guy's throat. It connects how he expects it to because the man starts coughing and gasping.

Average Guy intends to avenge his friend. As it turns out, Average is faster than Big which is brought to Deku's attention when a fist connects with his mouth and nose. A copper taste coats his tongue and a warmth pours from his nose, but he turns to square up with his next opponent anyways. Izuku knows better than to punch an attacker in the face. It isn't quite as effective as hitting the soft parts of the body, but in that moment, it was all he could think to do. His dad was by no means a violent man, but he told Izuku once that if he was going to fight then it was to the finish. As they sat on their blue bench with their ice cream, his dad had told him to hit hard and not to stop, but only if running wasn't an option.

Taking his father's advice, Izuku begins to rain blows on Average, hitting him wherever his fists can reach. When the guy steps back, Deku aims a kick to his kidney that lands, making his opponent sink to the ground. Before he gets the chance to fall onto the guy and make him regret getting out of bed that morning, Izuku is jerked backwards by his collar. He lands with a soft 'oof' before a shoe connects with his ribs. Deku scrambles backwards, getting to his feet. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts and vision, he prepares to fight again. Big Guy must be a linebacker for AMU, he's huge. And when he rushes Izuku, it shows he is a football player. Deku side steps the drunk idiot easily and sees his opening. Like a deer, he vaults over Average who is still on his hands and knees, and books it into the house. Tugging up his mask, he wrenches open the closet door and retrieves his belonging before hauling it out of the front door.

Their house is only two blocks from the frat party, but by the time Izuku makes it to there his pain is letting itself be known. Damn adrenaline, what a traitor.

"What are you doing home so early?" Bakugou asks, head poking out from the kitchen. Izuku just shakes his head, putting his things beside the couch in the front living room. "Are you drunk? Are you okay?" No answer. "Tell me before I beat it out of you."

With a sigh of resignation, Izuku slumps his shoulders and pulls his mask off. "Someone already did."

"What the fuck?! Who did this to you?! I'm going to kick their ass to next week!" After a pause, Katsuki screeches, "get in here!" from the kitchen.

"Kacchan," he says to the silently fuming blonde, "I'm just going to take a shower and go to sleep."

"You are going to go in this bathroom," Katsuki points to the one beside the kitchen. "You are going to take a shower and then I'm going to patch you up and check you over." Before Izuku can open his mouth to protest, Bakugou cuts him off, "there is no debate on this, Izuku. I'll get you some clothes and shit, now go on."

Closing the bathroom door behind him, Izuku turns to the mirror to see the damage. His nose and cheek are swollen, there is dried blood covering the lower half of his face, and it looks worse than it is. No wonder Kacchan is so uptight about the whole situation. Stripping his shirt off, he sees an ugly purple bruise blooming on the right side of his ribcage. All in all, it could've been worse. It isn't until he turns on the water for his shower that he realizes his knuckles are busted open. Izuku shakes his head as he strips down the rest of the way. The questions are going to irritate him tomorrow.

When he gets out of the shower there are a pair of sweatpants waiting for him. He finds Katsuki in the kitchen, a bowl of soup and a grilled cheese is sitting beside him.

"Come and eat this while I check you over," he says, pointing to the food.

"Is that why you are up at this hour?" Izuku asks, following the directions. The sandwich is warm and delicious and paired with the hot soup the entire meal tastes divine.

"Sometimes you need the finer things in life at two in the morning," Katsuki says, the only hint of his humor is in his voice. He starts by cleaning the open wounds on Izuku's knuckles.

"Ow, Kacchan. That hurts," he whines through a mouthful of sandwich.

The sound of the front door opening and closing distracts them for a moment. Shouto looks into the kitchen, observing the scene before him.

"I stopped by the party to find you, but everyone said you ran out of there. The other guy looks worse. I don't usually condone fighting." Shouto pauses to study Izuku. "Then again it isn't in your nature to be violent so I'm going to assume you did it for a good reason."

"They cornered me, calling me a faggot and stuff. They must have seen me dancing on Kaminari."

"They? I only saw one man looking beaten up." Shouto quirks an eyebrow.

"I punched the linebacker in the throat," Izuku replies sheepishly.

"Damn, I didn't think you had any fight in you," Katsuki says with surprise before he chuckles.

"I'm off to bed." Shouto excuses himself curtly to the basement.

"On a more serious note, you can't go around punching people because they spew homo-hate at you." Bakugou tears some tape as Izuku flounders for a moment.

"Did you not listen just now. Those guys cornered me. I don't care what people think my sexuality is and whether or not they approve. I needed to get out of there, so I mowed myself an opening."

Katsuki nods in contemplation before speaking. "What is your sexuality?"

Now it's Izuku's turn to wear a face of thought. "Undecided."

"Why? I mean you like dick, right?" Bakugou gestures for Izuku to give him his other hand since the first one is neatly wrapped up.

"I've never taken dick before, so I don't know. I assumed I was gay, but there was a moment with Ochako dancing on me tonight and it did things to me Kacchan, but so did dancing on Kaminari." Izuku sounds exasperated as he explains his predicament.

"We can label you as bi-curious then," Katsuki says as he starts wrapping Izuku's knuckles.

"Why do I have to have a label at all? I just like people for who they are, not because of body parts."

"That is just fine too," Bakugou says, placing the final piece of tape and smoothing it over with his thumb.

"I owe you, Kacchan. Thank you, I appreciate it."

"Whatever, Nerd. Get some sleep," Bakugou says, taking the last half of Izuku's grilled cheese.

"Gladly. Goodnight, Kacchan."

The questions did indeed irritate Izuku the next day just as he had predicted they would. By the time he made it to Fire and Ice he was thrilled to be alone on his platform. And when he got home the only thing he wanted was sleep. Just before he lays down to rest though, he sends out a group text saying that game night will be on for the Sunday of next weekend and to 'be there, you squares'.

Sunday is still Izuku's free day with no work or classes, so he starts on a painting for his Painting II class. The oil paints stick to the canvas thickly with each swipe of his brush. It's quiet and relaxing, exactly what his frazzled mind needs. Watching the colors flow from his brush, Izuku finds his mind wandering back to when he was younger.


	12. Reflect and Remix

When Izuku was a child his life wasn't really difficult. Both of his parents loved him deeply and they made sure he knew that. Inko still makes sure that he knows. His parents always fostered his creativity and hobbies which, to Izuku, was the best thing they could have ever done. Because of the support he was given then, he would make himself into something amazing now. Those things shaped him into the creative and confident person he is now.

When his father took him out for ice cream and a trip to the bench, he instilled in Izuku many life lessons, like how to fight and how to be patient. Those trips also taught him that he enjoyed vanilla ice cream more than any other flavor. Izuku hasn't had vanilla ice cream since his father passed away nine years ago. Just looking at the cold, sweet treat made him both sad and queasy.

Losing his father was another thing that made him into who he is now. Mourning the loss of his father and caring for his mother as much as he could at the tender age of ten years old taught him how to be strong for other people. He also learned how to make ramen noodles in several different ways as well as doing the laundry. The biggest lesson Izuku learned from the death of his father was that time is never promised to anyone so live a life without regrets.

No regrets were a catalyst to help him for Kacchan. It isn't that he regretted the bullying and abuse, why would he when it wasn't his fault? Izuku never really blamed his childhood friend for the heinous behaviors he displayed. Kacchan's mom could be awful to him over the smallest of things and he just knew that one day the angry blonde would calm down. He looked forward to that time and planned to be there when that version of Kacchan happened. The patience and forgiveness really were and still are worth it. If Kacchan taught him anything at all, it was kindness. Be the opposite of his childhood tormentor. Being kind often proved to be more difficult than being mean, but Izuku perfected the art of kindness.

Entering high school without Katsuki gave Izuku a clean slate to make friends and on the first day of school he was adopted by one Uraraka Ochako. She was chatty and led the conversations for him at first and that was fine by him. They studied together and texted in their free time. Ochako quickly became his best friend and that alone boosted his self-esteem and confidence.

A very pretty boy with heterochromia and bi-colored red and white hair soon harbored his attention. The guy was quiet and stoic, unphased by anything going on around him, and always alone. That was the first time Izuku realized he was attracted to males. Piggybacking off of the confidence that Uraraka gave him, he initiated a conversation with Todoroki Shouto. Izuku did a majority of the talking while it seemed that the other didn't pay him much mind. It was nearly enough to be annoying, but being who he is, Izuku went for the shock factor and quickly hugged Todoroki who froze up. Excusing himself, Izuku ran to Ochako who was waiting for him at the end of the hallway.

It was Shouto who initiated the next conversation and brick by slow brick, they built their friendship. At some point in time, Uraraka got slipped into the braid of their ever-growing friendship and the 'Zukusquad was born. They had dinner together most Fridays after school and studied at Izuku's house on Tuesdays, much to his mother's delight.

When Kacchan noticed that he had made friends, he doubled up his bullying efforts any time that he saw Izuku out and alone. In turn, Izuku started working out at the gym every chance he got and Shouto went through the trouble of teaching him some basic mixed martial arts techniques. Going to the gym meant that Izuku listened to more music and that introduced him to trap and dubstep. He studied and researched everything he could about the art of being a DJ. Inko discovered his new whim and decided to put him in some nearby classes. Izuku took to music in the same way he did with every other art form. He was a natural, swiftly surpassing the skill level of everyone in the class.

The drawing and painting had come naturally to him as well and from a young age at that. School notes had many doodles in them, but it helped Izuku remember things better. He could recall a mental image of the notes he had taken based on what he was doodling at the time. Becoming an Honors Student wasn't very difficult with that tactic. When he applied to AMU and got accepted with a full scholarship, he was ecstatic. The only other person more excited than him was his mother.

Shouto had applied to AMU and got the same deal as Izuku. Though his dad was proud of him for getting accepted into such an excellent school, he was not pleased with his son's major. Todoroki expected Shouto to double major in Business Management and Technology, so he could one day run the family company, Tech Endeavor. Shouto's heart belongs to Molecular Biology though, so that's what he is pursuing.

Once Inko discovered the situation with the Todoroki family, she had a party for both Izuku and Shouto. It wasn't a large party and that was fine by them considering they aren't fond of big groups. A summer later and they were moving into the Honors Dorm Building, meeting their roommates, and cursing themselves for not packing lightly. That was where the big changes came for Izuku.

In his first year of college he has not one but two jobs, more friends than he has fingers, a father figure that he didn't know he needed, and enough heartbreak to last a lifetime. Rather quickly, Izuku realizes, he is changing into a new person in several ways even though his core traits remain the same. His mom used to tell him that being self-aware would benefit him in the long run and so far, she has been right. Maybe it is time to remix some aspects of himself and his life.

"Midoriya? Are you okay?" A voice pulls him from his reflections.

Izuku is holding his paintbrush at the ready in front of the canvas that he is staring at with unfocused eyes. "Yes, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" Turning around he sees Shouto looking at him with concern, a bowl of soba noodles perched on his knees.

"You've been sitting like that for five minutes. I had an entire one-sided conversation with myself because you weren't listening." Shouto keeps his gaze on Izuku as he slurps some of the noodles.

Izuku chews on his bottom lip for a moment, painting left forgotten for the moment. Why on Earth would he hesitate to tell Shouto his thoughts and feelings? They're best friends even though they aren't as inseparable as they once were back in high school. Perhaps his anxiety just has a firm grasp on his thoughts right now. "I think I'm going through an identity crisis."

Shouto merely quirks an eyebrow before asking, "what kind of an identity crisis?"

"There are different kinds? Are you serious?" Izuku asks, his voice steadily rising in pitch. Shouto nods. "Uh, well I'm just, um, this is hard. Okay, with all of my recent life experiences I am just thinking about how they are kind of changing me as a person. I think it's fostering growth, possibly. Toshinori said I'm maturing so I can't help but wonder if maybe I should change some stuff in my life. Does any of this make sense?" Midoriya deflates after his explanation is done.

"You aren't in an identity crisis. You are in identity moratorium," Shouto says.

"How do you know that?" Izuku asks as he furrows his brows.

"I did dorm with future psychologist Bakugou Katsuki for a year. He explained the different identity statuses to me once and then asked me where I stood."

Izuku snorts, imagining how that conversation went and then realizing that it was quite possible for Todoroki and Bakugou to have a friendship that he hadn't even considered. It makes an ugly emotion rear its head deep in his chest. It quickly sobers up any humor he had been feeling.

"Call it what you will, it's still there," Izuku says curtly as he cleans up his paint mess and puts his supplies away neatly. "I'm going out." Walking into his bedroom, the first thing that catches his eye is his gym bag, so he snatches it up and hustles out of the house without uttering another word.

The walk to the gym is not peaceful. The thoughts swirling in his head are loud and each one demands his attention. Before long, it is a full-on knock down drag out between the thoughts and Izuku puts his earbuds in with the hope that music will bring some quiet. It seems to make things more manageable.

As he begins his leisurely paced jog on the treadmill, Izuku decides that each exercise he does will get one topic he can think about and analyze. Compartmentalizing is one thing he excels at in his mind. What is bothering him the most? Art. He is so caught up in friends and dating and work that picking up a pencil or brush now feels like a foreign concept rather than a thrill. Re-devoting himself to art would be a good start. There is a chance that as he changes and develops as a person, his art will change too. The green bunny he had drawn then he was five stands out on his left bicep as a tattoo. Art will definitely mature with him.

Moving on to the weight bench, he sets himself up and gets under the bar. Dating. That is something he really knows nothing about. Maybe he should ask around. Even if everyone's experiences are different then at least he could get a general idea of how dating works. Izuku considers that he may be overthinking the whole concept. When he returns to the house, he decides, he will list out the pros and cons of all of his ex-boyfriends and then work from there. Yeah, that is a solid plan.

Finishing his reps, Izuku moves to doing his squats in front of the wall of mirrors so he can keep track of his posture and form. What about music? Should he try to grow as a DJ? It is only a hobby and his weekend job, but would he continue to do it after college? Talking to Jirou might be a good option on the matter. If at all possible, they could share their knowledge with each other and grow together. Much like visual art, music is heard, interpreted, and made differently by each person so there is no harm in asking Jirou.

None of those things seem like dramatic changes to Izuku. He needs something more, anything at all. He starts on his crunches as he debates on what to change. Maybe he should throw a party? What if he cuts his hair? How about changing his wardrobe completely? Momo would love that. A new tattoo wouldn't be a bad change, but he was out of space on his arms, so he would have to move on to a different part of his body. He could have Shinsou give him a piercing, nothing too flashy or angsty like Shouji. Shouji is the other artist at One for All and he works so quickly and efficiently, you'd almost believe he had multiple hands. He's also covered in tats and has enough piercings to rival the display cases in Shinsou's room at the shop.

After a quick dinner back at home, Izuku gathers up a small sketchbook and a fine point marker before going upstairs and laying on the couch in the front living room which is positioned in front of the bay window that shows the darkening street outside. On the first blank page he writes 'Iida Tenya' and underlines it boldly. Pros get listed first followed by cons. This pattern continues for Kirishima and Bakugou as well. When he starts on the master list of things he wants in a significant other, Uraraka walks into the room.

"Hey Deku, what are you up to?" She asks, plopping onto the cushion above Izuku's head. He takes the opportunity to scoot up and use her thigh as a pillow.

"I'm writing lists on the pros and cons of my exes to find out what I really want from a partner," he answers with a sigh.

"What do you have so far?"

Flipping to the front of the book, he silently hands it to Ochako and closes his eyes.

**Iida Tenya**

**Pros:** *Organized. *Athletic. *Good Listener.

**Cons:** *Uptight. *Bossy. *Too much of a good friend to date.

**Kirishima Eijirou**

**Pros:** *Attractive. *Muscular. *Kind. *Understanding.

**Cons:** *Dating Bakugou. *Broke my heart. *Not the best with time management.

**Bakugou Katsuki**

**Pros:** *Attractive. *Muscular. *Excellent at cooking. *Intuitive. *Honest. *Caring (when he wants to be).

**Cons:** *Loud. *Curses A LOT. *Dating Kirishima. *Broke my heart. *Tends to interrupt my muttering.

Ochako reads the lists for several minutes before handing the book back. "So, what is going on the master list?"

"Would you want to help me choose?" Izuku asks, looking up through his long lashes at her.

"What kind of best friend would I be if I didn't?" She plays with his soft green curls as he lists off Iida's pros. "Is organized really necessary at this point in time?"

"No, not really," Izuku answers, tapping the marker against his lips. "The good listener part is important to me though." He puts it on the list.

"What about athletic?"

"Added bonus but not necessary," he answers. Uraraka hums in agreement. They move on to Kirishima.

"I think kind and understanding go hand in hand," she chimes in as Izuku mutters to himself. He nods, writing both into the list anyways.

"All we have left is Kacchan." Izuku looks over the list. "I would definitely appreciate it if they weren't loud like he is." Relatively quiet goes on the list.

"Honesty is a big deal to you so that should make the cut. Intuitive and caring too. Being an excellent cook is a good trait but is it really a need?" Ochako asks. Izuku shakes his head and hands her the completed list to look over.

**Master List**

**Pros:** *Good listener. *Kind. *Understanding. *Relatively quiet. *Honest. *Intuitive. *Caring.

"What do you think?" He waits for her answer impatiently.

"I think I know someone who fits your criteria," she says with a smirk.


	13. A Tat Chat with Shouto

"Shouto, I've been meaning to talk to you for a while now. Are you still willing to think about getting a tattoo from me? Izuku asks when his roommate come in from work on Tuesday night.

"Yes, I am. Did you design something?" Shouto hangs his jacket up and walks toward Izuku's bed where the other man is sitting, knees drawn toward his chest and a sketchbook resting on them.

He gets an excited nod from his friend who pats the bed beside him. When he sits down, Shouto gets the book put into his lap. There in the center of the page is an elegantly detailed koi fish, its colors of orange and white are perfectly balanced. "Koi are a symbol of perseverance," Izuku supplies helpfully. A slender dragon forms a circle around the koi fish. Vibrant reds and vivid oranges are offset with black shadows and shading that nearly make Shouto believe they are going to come alive right off of the page. "Dragons are strength and wisdom."

"How much will this cost, Midoriya?" He asks, finally tearing his eyes away from the drawing.

Izuku holds his hand up. "That is for me to worry about."

"Midoriya," Shouto starts sternly.

"No, you heard me. You just bring your body and a vanilla latte for your favorite friend to each appointment and I'll take care of the rest," Izuku declares with finality.

"Each appointment? How many appointments will it take?"

"Two of them at three hours each," he answers matter-of-factly. "Possibly three. Don't argue with me. Let me have my fun. It's a simple yes or no."

Todoroki hesitates before nodding. "Fine. I'll think about where I want it. Do you have any openings before my shifts this weekend?"

"I am free on Friday from 11am to 3pm and Saturday from 11am to 2:30pm," he answers as he checks his One for All appointments on his phone.

"Let's do Friday then," Shouto says, sounding resigned to his fate of being in Izuku's chair.

"Ochako, I have some juicy gossip for you," Izuku says while he cleans tables with her after the early morning Quirffee rush at 7am. They left Asui to handle any straggling customers. She is the newest employee at the café and she took to creating drinks like a frog to water.

"I love juicy gossip. Tell me more," she chimes back with intrigue.

"I'm doing a tattoo on Shouto," Izuku says, waggling his eyebrows playfully.

"No way! When are you doing it, like what day?" Ochako says, pausing her cleaning to gape at him.

"Friday morning," he answers. "He is going to tell me where he wants it to go on his body when he comes in that morning."

"I can't believe Todoroki is getting ink done by you! I probably still won't believe it until I see it."

He had put Todoroki on his schedule for One for All and had stressed to Toshinori just how amazing and exciting the entire situation was to him. Toshinori with his fun nature, got excited with Izuku. At 10am on Friday morning, he makes his way to One for All Tattoos to set up and prepare the stencil.

"You are really thrilled about this, Young Midoriya," Toshinori says as he pulls his blonde hair into a bun.

"Shouto and I have been best friends for four years and this is his first tattoo. He is trusting me with this responsibility, I want to make it the best experience I can," Izuku says, putting a headband on to push his curls back and out of his face.

"You're the best kind of person," Toshinori says, patting Izuku's back before walking away.

Fifteen minutes before the scheduled appointment time, Shouto walks through the front door to see Toshi about all of the necessary paperwork. Before Izuku can even take a steadying break, Shouto is standing in his doorway.

"Are you ready for this?" Izuku asks, smiling brightly. Shouto nods to him. "Where do you want it?"

"Here," Shouto answers, pointing to his left pectoral. "Is that possible?"

"You could ask me to put it on your eyelid and I could do it. I don't recommend that though," Izuku says as Todoroki cringes. "Okay, take your shirt off and lay down right here." Izuku gestures to his reclined chair. "Did you have breakfast this morning?" Another nod. "I have a bottle of water and a bottle of juice for you as well. This will go smoothly."

Shouto lays down in the chair calmly and Izuku adjusts it to the correct height and reclines it to a good angle, checking that it is good for Todoroki too. He explains how the process will go and to speak up if he needs a break or if he feels unwell. He cleans the area with green soap and lets it dry.

"I'm going to complete your line work today, it'll be the most difficult part really. Because of how the orange and red bleed together it'll be time consuming.

"I trust you, Midoriya." The tone of Shouto's voice is so genuine that it makes Izuku's heart skip a beat. He shows Todoroki the stencil before putting it on. The transfer is clean and Izuku opens his supplies and pieces together his tattoo gun. Gathering orange ink and a paper towel, he starts to work. Shouto doesn't even flinch.

It is silent for a while between them, the only noise is the tattoo gun and the songs that Izuku sings to himself as he works. It is comfortable, almost natural. The outline of the koi is coming along slowly as Izuku had suggested it would.

Todoroki starts the conversation first. "I made a dragon deck for game night on Sunday."

"You're a sly cat, were you just going to spring that on us at the game night? No fair warnings ahead of time?" Izuku asks with a teasing smile.

"I've had it ready for a while, I was just waiting for game night to start again," he replies with a half shrug.

"That's been my fault. I'm sorry," Izuku says, ducking his head for a moment.

"Why? How is it your fault?"

"I've been so hung up on my exes that I let go of what was truly important which is friend time and time to just let go and relax. I sorted it out though," he says with confidence.

"Can I ask you something that may seem a little personal?"

"Of course, you can Shouto."

"What did you like most about your ex-boyfriends? I'm assuming there are multiple since you said 'exes." Shouto seems to focus on the ceiling, taking in deep breaths. Izuku offers him the bottle of water in case he is starting to feel unwell.

"It's funny you ask that," he says with a small laugh. "Ochako and I were just discussing that the other day. We even wrote out a master list of all the things I liked the most." He relays the list to Shouto who nods as he listens.

"Those are rather vague likes, plenty of people can fit your tastes," Todoroki notes more to himself than Izuku.

"I'm not so sure about that," Izuku says quietly.

Once the outline is complete, Izuku cleans it up with more green soap and puts clear plastic wrap over it, secured with masking tape. "Leave this on for at least two hours, but if I were you I'd wear it during your shift tonight too. Your shirt will rub it until it's raw. I have ointment for it at the house but washing it with antibacterial soap is a must." As Izuku applies the last of the tape to the cling wrap, he lets his eyes wander over Shouto's torso. His body is lean and athletic and beautifully pale.

"I'm sure you'll keep me in line, since you live with me and all," Todoroki remarks, pulling Izuku's eyes back to his face.

Izuku bites his lip and nods. "You know it."

It is a relief to get out of One for All and over to Fire and Ice. Doing tattoos is of course something Izuku loves to do, but sometimes the air just seems stales and the walls of his work area appear to shrink in on him. The club is hot and sticky when he gets there and sets up. Earphone Jack is about him, dancing to the music as she makes it. Izuku can't help but watch her fondly. Jirou's first love is music, much like Izuku's is drawing.

"Hey Fuyumi, I want to ask you something really quick," Deku yells as she walks up the stairs to the second floor.

After a quick chat with his boss, he heads up the stairs with her and makes his way over to Jirou. "Could I pitch an idea to you for the evening?"

She turns to look at him, nodding. "I am adoring your new style of music and I want to hear more of it so would it be cool with you if I took the first two hours and you took the last two hours rather than switching in and out and covering? Fuyumi said she doesn't care as long as she has good music all night," Deku explains with a laugh.

"That is totally fine with me." EJ's smile is so bright that Deku is almost taken aback by the surprise of it. "I'm glad you like it, I've been working hard at it."

Deku's two hours go by in a flash and before long he is packed up and sitting on one of the railings on EJ's platform, just bobbing to the music. He steals glances at Shouto every few minutes, watching how he moves fluidly behind the bar as if he doesn't even have to think about what he is doing.

"If you stare any harder Deku, you'll burn a hole right through him," Jirou says from beside him. She laughs at his embarrassment, his face turning a bright shade of red. "He is a cool drink of water, definitely a thirst quencher." She winks and laughs as he buries his face in his hands.

"You are terribly wonderful," Deku remarks to her as a shy smile dances onto his face. When he looks back at Shouto, he is talking to a woman at the bar. A gleaming smile forms on Todoroki's lips as he leans on the bar toward her, listening intently. Something in Izuku flips, making his stomach drop and his blood run cold.


	14. Feelings Are Hard

Despite the night not being chilly, Izuku is trembling. He stomps his way home, all fifteen minutes of it. He is conflicted about the strange feeling in his chest. If anyone would know what was happening, it would be Iida so as soon as he drops his stuff off in the basement, he takes himself up to Iida's bedroom. Knocking tentatively, he waits a few moments before a tired looking Tenya opens the door.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't think about what time it is, you can go back to sleep. I'm really sorry," Izuku rushes out quickly.

Tenya shakes his head and steps out of the bedroom. "What can I do for you, Midoriya?"

"I just need someone to talk with," he admits as his shoulders drop in defeat.

Iida ushers the sad man to the kitchen and puts on some tea. He waits until there are two steaming cups on the table before he speaks. "What do you need to talk about?"

Izuku hesitates on his response, unsure of how to ask what he needs to ask. "I experienced a new feeling and I'm not sure what it is." Iida just looks on expectantly. "What is the feeling called when you see a person with something or someone else and you feel like you've been betrayed by that person even though you haven't been betrayed at all?"

"I'm actually surprised this is the first time you've experienced this feeling." Tenya works hard to keep the amusement out of his voice. "You are feeling jealousy, Midoriya."

Izuku sits and silently stares at his friend for a long time before gathering his bearings. "I've been jealous before! I'm jealous of Jirou's DJ skills and I'm jealous of Kacchan's epic cooking…"

"You damn well should be," Katsuki says, slumping into the kitchen. "Thanks for waking me up, asshole." He glares at Izuku for a moment before walking over and taking his untouched cup of tea. "This is an okay consolation prize, I guess." Kacchan shrugs before walking out again just as quickly as he had walked in.

"As I was saying," Izuku says, puffing his cheeks out indignantly. "This is not jealousy."

"No, you envy Jirou and Bakugou. You want what they already have. Jealousy is the fear that something you have or want to have is being taken from you. It's envy but at a greater magnitude." Tenya sets him with a steady gaze. "What has caused this spike in jealousy?"

Izuku shifts uncomfortably in his seat. Running his fingers through his curls, he says, "Shouto smiled at a woman at the bar tonight, like genuinely smiled at her."

"That's it, nothing more?"

"That smiled is reserved for me and me only. It should be anyways. I mean, what did she say to him that would make him smile like that?" Each word becomes more and more distressed as he says them.

The front door opening causes both of them to jump. Shouto strolls in and gets a bottle of water from the refrigerator. He nods at Iida and turns to Izuku. "Are you doing well? You left the club earlier than usual."

"Yes, I'm fine." The anger in his voice is a surprise to everyone in the room. The words have a sharp edge to them.

Shouto's face becomes as passive as ever. "Are you sure about that? You don't sound fine."

"I said I'm fine, Todoroki," Izuku isn't even sure why he is coming off so hostile towards his best friend.

"MIDORIYA!" The sound of Iida slapping his hand on the table makes Izuku jump. "Apologize."

When Izuku opens his mouth to do just that, realizing how rude he is being, Shouto shakes his head. "Don't bother. I'm going to bed." And with that he descends to the basement, leaving the other two men to stare after him.

Turning back to the table, Izuku puts his head down on it and sobs quietly. Tenya simply stands guard by him until he is done crying. "Why was I like that to him?" Izuku asks as he wipes his face. "I like him and yet I was a total douche to him."

"I told you why," Tenya says to him calmly.

"I think I should sleep off whatever this is," Izuku says, gesturing to himself. "Are we still on for a jog tomorrow before I leave for work?"

"Of course we are. In the meantime, think of a way to apologize to Todoroki."

Izuku washes his face in the bathroom that he and Shouto share before he gets in to bed. It is obvious by the way that Shouto is breathing that he isn't asleep yet. As Izuku searches for the words to say, they fail him, so he instead chooses to curl up in a ball, wrapping his arms around himself to hold himself together as tears threaten to overtake him. Out of everything he feels, confusion is at the forefront.

Eventually Shouto's breathing evens out and Izuku releases the pent-up emotions. No one ever told him that feelings could be so hard.

The normally peaceful jog with Iida is turned into a punishing run by Izuku. Each breath sears his lungs by the time he makes it back to the start of the trail they were running. Each pained breath makes him remember being a jerk to Shouto and he thinks how he deserves to be hated as he stretches to cool down.

"Midoriya," Iida pants, finally catching up. "Did you sleep last night?" A pause for a drink. "You look rough."

"No, I didn't," he admits. "I don't know how to apologize or even approach Shouto right now."

Tenya nods, looking thoughtful. "Can I impart some advice to you?" Izuku nods. "Kirishima and I, we approached you about dating. Not everyone is just going to come to you. There are times where you will have to work for the affection and for a relationship. If I know one thing about Todoroki, he isn't going to come right out and say it."

Izuku just stares at Iida before he whispers, "Earth shattering."

"Are you sure Todoroki is even into males in a relationship way?"

"He's my best friend so he tells me everything, almost. He identifies as bisexual. So, I'm definitely sure."

"Go get him then, Midoriya."

A freshly showered Izuku makes his way to his bedroom to quickly gather up his things before his shift at One for All. He notices a disposable coffee cup sitting on his bedside table and a quick sniff confirms that it is a vanilla latte.

"I forgot to bring you one yesterday," Shouto says as he walks past Izuku, a breakfast burrito in his hand.

The corner of Izuku's mouth quirks up as he turns to see Shouto sitting cross-legged on his bed. His cheeks are puffed out, full of burrito. A laugh bubbles out of Izuku and for some reason he just feels light and happy. "Thank you. I'm sorry for being a dick to you. You didn't deserve my attitude."

Swallowing his food, Shouto asks, "do you kiss Mrs. Midoriya with that mouth?"

Izuku rolls his eyes before walking over to his best friend. "What mom doesn't know won't hurt her." He intended to ruffle the bi-colored hair under his fingers, but he instead started carding his fingers through it. The way Shouto closes his eyes and looks as if heaven has just touched down on the face of the Earth is not missed by Izuku. He recalls the same reaction had happened when he cupped Shouto's cheek at the club once. Todoroki enjoys being touched by Izuku and he decides he will use that to his advantage on his journey to woo his favorite pretty boy.


	15. I'll Play You

It looks perfect and thanks to Kacchan, it is perfectly straight and even. In honor of the first game night in the new house, Izuku had asked everyone in the house if it was okay to hang the friend collage in the dining room where everyone would be gathered. After everyone gave the affirmative, he attempted to hang the big collage up by himself much to the chagrin of Katsuki who ended up being a landing pad, as he walked by, for Izuku who toppled off of the stool he was standing on.

Katsuki's precision in hanging the art was fueled by the anger that the smaller man had flared up. Izuku showered the fuming blonde with praise and thanks and graciously bowed out of the room when he was shown not one but two middle fingers.

Normally the first part of his day would be spent with Iida since they continued on their traditions from when they were in the dorm together, but Ochako and Tsu had asked for some help in choosing what cards to buy for their new decks and then Izuku had the collage fiasco so they both took a raincheck. Instead, he did some cleaning around the house, but even that wasn't much since everyone kept their surroundings practically pristine. With a resigned sigh, he goes to the basement.

Todoroki is sitting on the couch, scrolling through his phone lazily. Perfect. "Shoutoooo," Izuku whines as he flops onto the couch next to his best friend-turned-crush.

"Yes, Midoriya?" He asks, glancing up from his phone.

Izuku huffs dramatically before saying, "I am so bored." A glimmer of amusement plays in Todoroki's eyes before he goes back to his phone. Izuku gasps, feigning shock. "Are you really going to leave your best friend in this condition?" No response.

Izuku is not about to give up that easily. He flops onto his back on the couch and wiggles his way up until his head is in Shouto's lap. It finally gets Todoroki to look at him for a moment. Now to activate his special ability: Cute Factor Full Cowling. "Shou," he says softly. "I'm only asking for a moment of your attention, please." He widens his eyes innocently and can tell that Shouto is having an internal struggle if he should or not. Now to come at him with an ultimate move: Heart Snatcher. "We never spend enough time together." Izuku says it softly as he reaches a hand up and cups Todoroki's cheek, sliding his thumb along the jawline that he would love nothing more than to kiss.

Shouto's eyelids flutter closed as he softly sighs and Izuku can't help but wonder if he does that without realizing it. After a few moments, Todoroki all but throws his phone over the back of the couch, ignoring the clatter that it makes when it hits the floor and lays down beside Izuku. After some wiggling and adjustments, they get comfortable. Both of them have their legs dangling off the arms of the couch on opposite ends and are using each other's thighs as pillows. Izuku has to bite his tongue before he points out that they almost look like yin and yang.

"You now have my attention, Midoriya," Shouto says, looking at the pile of green curls on his leg. He nearly chokes on his own spit when he feels a warm, rough hand perch on his exposed hip, the thumb sweeping across the bone there slowly and repetitively.

"Sometimes I miss high school because we used to be closer back then," Izuku laments quietly.

"We're roommates now," Shouto says.

"I hardly see you," he replies. He can feel the other male nod against his leg.

"I know what you mean. Growing up sucks in some respects," Shouto whispers.

Screw it. Screw this. Now or never. Get what you want or get over it.

"Hey Shouto?" Izuku whispers back. His throat suddenly feels tight.

"Yes?"

"It took me a while, like way longer than it should have. And there have been some bumps along the way, but I really like you."

The silence is deafening and seems to compress Izuku from all sides. It isn't until the edges of his vision turn black that he realizes he is holding his breath. The breaths in and out are slow and shaky at best, but he feels better. He debates on raising his head to look at Shouto, but the other speaks before he can do it. "Are you sure?"

"The signs have been there for a long time, since before I became your friend. I just didn't realize it until recently. For someone who is so smart, I can sure be dumb." Izuku silently giggles and Shouto snorts.

"How sure are you?"

"I'll play you."

"What?" Confusion laces Shouto's question.

"Tonight, at game night. Best two out of three. If I win, I get to take you on a date," Izuku says smugly.

"What if I win?" Shouto fires back.

"What do you want?"

"What I want is you. I'll admit though that I'm hesitant and I don't want to just go headlong into this." Shouto sighs before continuing. "If I win, I want massages from you. For a week. Your hands are magical."

has stopped working. 404: Midoriya not found.

It is hard to process the information that Todoroki has just given him. It isn't a no, or a maybe, or a yes. It's a 'let's take it slow' and that is something he can work with. He didn't turn down the date challenge either.

"You're on, Shouto," Izuku says excitedly. "So, in the meantime, do you want to get snacks with me for tonight?"

"Sure."

When the pizza arrives, it is their usual delivery guy who is surprised that they are still going strong in game night, even after leaving the dorms. Izuku assures him that he'll see them again next Sunday if he's working. They talk for a few minutes and Izuku learns that his name is Tokoyami Fumikage and that he too is a student at AMU.

"Of course, Deku would befriend the pizza guy," Uraraka says as she peeks out the bay window to see what is taking him so long.

"Of course, he would, the useless nerd," Katsuki scoffs from the table.

"That dude will chat with and help anyone," Kirishima says with a big smile. "So manly."

"He helped me realize I'm bisexual," Kaminari chimes in and everyone stops to stare at him. "Whoa, wait! Only because he grinded that bubble butt on me at the frat party." The girls simply nod and go back to what they are doing.

"Dude," Sero says to Kaminari. "I don't know if it is better or worse that it only took Midoriya's ass to make you realize your sexuality."

"Here he comes!" Ochako exclaims, pulling the front door open for Izuku. "About time, Deku! We're all starving. Those first matches really took it out of us."

"Sorry guys, Fumikage has been bringing us our pizza for how long now and we never stopped to chat with him?" Izuku says, sitting the pizza on the island in the kitchen. Everyone rushes past him to get food, but Izuku's stomach is in knots as he thinks about his impending matches with Shouto.

Sitting at the far end of the table, he stares between his Minotaur deck and his Enrage deck, trying to decide which one would do better against either of his friend's decks. Speaking of, Todoroki takes the opportunity to snatch the seat across from Midoriya and slides him a plate of pizza and a can of soda. "Thank you, Shouto."

"Don't thank me, consider it your consolation prize when I slaughter you in these matches," Shouto says deadpan. He slips his Red-White Aggro deck from its box and begins shuffling.

"Todoroki is savage," Ashido says, sitting beside Shouto and tearing into her pizza.

"You have your hands full with this one," Kirishima says, pulling up the chair beside him. "What did you do to ruffle those red and white feathers?"

"If I win, he gives me a massage every day for a week," Shouto answers without glancing up from his shuffling.

"Todoroki, you have to win. Sorry Izuku but your massages are magical," Kirishima says.

Leaning in and speaking low enough for only Eijirou to hear him, he says, "and if I win, I get to take him on a date."

"That is no fair! How am I supposed to choose a side now?" Kirishima whines.

Izuku shrugs and shakes his Minotaur deck out of the box, shuffling it quickly since he has yet to use it today and it is already mana weaved…

…The game had been close, but Shouto's deck was much too quick against Izuku's. It made Izuku's anxiety creep up into his shoulders and settle there. He needs to win the next one to stay in the running. They both switch decks, Shouto picking up his dragons and Izuku getting his dinosaurs…

…Izuku is almost done for, his D20 is reading three. In a last-ditch effort to win, he pays the six mana to bring out Etali, Primal Storm. After Shouto exiles the card on the top of his library, Izuku brings out Charging Monstrosaur. He attacks with every creature he has on the battlefield and even after being blocked, manages to end Todoroki. He is still in the fight. He keeps his Enrage deck while Shouto goes back to his Aggro deck…

…The D20 reads zero and Izuku stares blankly at the battlefield before him. How did he lose? Did Shouto not want to go on a date with him after all? If he did, he certainly would've lost on purpose, right? His massages aren't that great. Everyone is staring between them. Only three of them knew Deku's part of the deal so what were the rest waiting on? Confirmation of his defeat?

"Fuck." It's barely loud enough to be a breath but Team Todoroki hears it and cheers. A hand squeezing his bicep makes him jump and he looks up to see Eijirou looking at him with a frown. Izuku refuses to cry in front of anyone so he smiles wryly at the redhead before smiling at Shouto who looks taken aback.

"I expect that first massage tomorrow," Shouto says with a smirk.

By no means is Midoriya Izuku usually petty, but he can't help himself. "If I had won," Izuku announces to the room as he picks up his now cold pizza on a plate and stands up, walking toward Shouto. "I would've had the pleasure of taking Todoroki here on a date. As it stands however," he says, pausing beside a stoic Shouto. "I still win in both outcomes." Everyone is quiet as they watch the exchange between the two men, confused. "I may not get to take you out on a date, but now I get to have my hands all over your hot body. I will take that as my consolation prize."

The sound of the buttons being pushed on the microwave are drowned out by whistles. Izuku glances over his shoulder as his pizza is heating up to see Shouto's very pink cheeks. Turning back to the microwave, he instead sees Uraraka standing in front of him.

"I haven't heard you stoop that low to embarrass someone in a long time, 'Zuku. You must be really upset and embarrassed," she says, eyeing him worriedly.

"I just want to date him," he says, hanging his head. "I hoped he wanted the same thing, but I guess not. One date isn't rushing anything, right?" His voice gets more and more raspy with each word as he struggles against the tears.

"No, it isn't rushing," she reassures him as she pulls him into a hug and glares at Todoroki who is silently standing in the doorway, watching the exchange.

"I just want to be happy and be happy with him," Izuku gasps out quietly into her shoulder. Shouto finds the floor to be enthralling all of a sudden before he turns and walks away.


	16. Put Words in My Mouth

Izuku has done plenty of difficult things in his life, but this one ranks in the top ten of most difficult things he has done. All he wants to do is avoid Shouto like the plague, but Izuku is a man of his word.

Every night for an entire week he delivers Shouto a thirty-minute massage and he doesn't skimp on the quality by any means. Any other time outside of the massages though, he DOES avoid his crush like the plague. How can he face Todoroki after his failure? Despite their confessions to one another, Izuku is unsure if Shouto really likes him as much as he says he does.

Once the week of massages is over, Izuku throws himself into work, every kind of work. Art? He has his earbuds in with the music up as loud as he can get it. Music? The same deal as art. Toshinori lets him pick up a few extra hours at One for All during his free time on week days and he shuts himself away in the shared office at Quirffee. And that little shared office, with its desk, rolling chair, filing cabinet, and printer, is where Izuku currently finds himself huddled away on a chilly Thursday morning in the middle of October.

Quirffee now smells like pumpkin spice and chai. The café is louder since everyone wants to sit inside and warm up before having to take a brisk walk across campus. Tsu and Ochako team up to conquer the front counter and they work so smoothly together that you would believe they communicate telepathically. Something about the entire situation warms Izuku's heart.

"Ochako," Izuku calls out of the open door. "What do you think about throwing a Halloween party?"

"Izu, you know how Halloween is around here and I doubt that Fuyumi will give you that weekend off," she reminds him as she walks by.

"That is why we do it the weekend before Halloween. Fuyumi already gave me that weekend. All of the staff are off. And I would have it off even if that wasn't the case because of Sunday…" he trails off.

"Is that why you want to throw a party? Because your dad's death anniversary is coming up? That isn't healthy," she says with concern, leaning on the doorframe. Her brown bob sways as she shakes her head.

"That isn't just it. One, I never have a sad day on the anniversary. It is a celebration on life. Two, he always encouraged me to live life to the fullest and just be me. All I do is work, Ochako. I want to be a college student and let loose, but during the block party I'll be working. Surprise, surprise." He looks at her imploringly.

She crumbles rather quickly. "We can ask everyone else." The bell chimes to announce the arrival of a customer. It is the slow period, so they only average a customer every few minutes.

"In the meantime," Izuku calls out of the office, "what am I going to do about the Todoroki situation?"

After a few beats of silence, she calls back, "what about it exactly?"

"I failed to get a date with him. I'm not even sure he likes me anymore. Where do I go from here?"

"Well," Ochako pauses, looking across the counter at Todoroki. Should she let the conversation continue or cut it short. Decisions…

"Tell him he should just ask me on a date," Shouto whispers.

"Why don't you just ask him out? You are always on and on about being straightforward," she says, Todoroki making her mind up for her.

"It just seems too simple." Izuku sighs quietly. "I really like him, a lot, and I want to put in some effort."

"Tell him I'm a simple person," Shouto urges to Ochako.

"'Zuku, Todoroki is a simple person so I'm sure he would like a simple date request," she says, trying to sound like she is reasoning with him of her own free will.

"Are you sure we are friends with the same Shouto? He is so much deeper than that."

Todoroki raises an eyebrow, mirroring Ochako who asks, "how do you figure that?"

A noise of embarrassment comes from the office. "He is really sweet and caring. He dresses sensibly and smells amazing. When he smiles, I'm sure the earth stops turning and even though I've only heard him laugh one time, that sound could've saved Satan from the deepest depths of hell. He is so smart and calculated and everything he does gets maximum effort. So, can you imagine how much he would put into a relationship with me?"

Shouto's cheeks are flaming red and Uraraka has to bury her snickering behind her hand. "I've got nothing," he whispers, avoiding her gaze.

"Why don't you do something you're good at, like drawing him a comic to ask him out or something?"

"Ocha, that's it!" Izuku yells from the office excitedly.

"What is it?"

"I'm going to go old school. I'm going to make him a mixtape of all the music I have that reminds me of him and that I know will get the message across. After I'm sure he's listened to it, I'll ask him out straightforward like you suggested."

Todoroki gives Ochako a small smile and nods his head in approval. "That is very much a Midoriya thing to do."

"Izu, that sounds like a perfect plan," Ochako says.

Shouto leans in and whispers, "of course I still like him. It's just embarrassing to throw out all of our private business to the entire group at once. Besides, those massages were the best. I didn't mean to hurt him." Uraraka nods. Todoroki takes his coffee and heads out the door.

"Do you think maybe Todoroki was embarrassed that you asked him out so publicly?" Uraraka asks, returning to the office.

"I just want to show off my feelings for him, but you're probably right. He is much more personal about that kind of stuff."

When Izuku sits down in the basement living room, laptop open, ready to look through the locked folder of music labeled 'For My Favorite Person', there are footfalls on the stairs.

"Midoriya, there you are. Uraraka is about to start the house-wide meeting. You are asked to attend," Iida states, watching him from the stairs.

"I forgot about it," he says, closing his computer. He follows Tenya up the stairs to the dining room where the rest of his housemates are situated.

"Now that we are all present," Uraraka says, pointedly looking at Izuku. "Let us get down to our only order of business."

"We all know why we are here, Round Face," Katsuki calls out, rolling his eyes. "Get on with it."

"Does anyone object to hosting a Halloween party here?"

Everyone remains silent except for Katsuki. "I don't care to host a party here, but since it is the nerd's idea he should be in charge of the planning. I'll donate to the food and alcohol fund, but that's the most I'm doing."

"We are all underage, how are we supposed to get alcohol?" Asui asks, glancing around the table.

"Um, I-I have a friend who is going to get it for me. I checked with him yesterday," Izuku says nervously. "I take full responsibility for this party."

"The first weekend we have off from the party of the nightclub and we throw a house party instead," Todoroki says with amusement.

"How did you both land time off together?" Asui chimes in again.

"Fuyumi always closes Fire and Ice to prepare for the Halloween block party. Business slows down so instead of working us, she uses the time to stock up on supplies and has the place professionally cleaned. No cover charge and half-priced drinks are a big hit with the college students." Shouto finishes talking and everyone just looks at him.

"You're spending too much time with that damn nerd. His rambling habits are rubbing off on you," Katsuki says with a huff. Everyone chuckles at him.

"You are all dismissed," Uraraka announces, slamming her cup on the table. "Except for you, Izuku."

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Your Honor?" He says in a sultry tone, sitting on the edge of the table in front of her. They both laugh and snort.

"How is your mixtape coming along?"

"I was just about to pick the music when Iida came down to get me for the meeting." Izuku worries his bottom lip with his teeth.

"Have you decided on what you're going to name it?"

"Oh, that's easy." Izuku smiles bright enough to put 10,000 suns to shame. "I Like You a Latte."


	17. I Like You a Latte

Making a mixtape is harder than Izuku imagined it would be. His first task is choosing the music he wants to put on the tape. Every song he has in the folder labeled 'For My Favorite Person' suddenly just doesn't seem like enough to him. What songs are strong enough to express how he thinks and feels about Todoroki? Maybe he should've followed Ochako's advice and just drew a damn comic. No, he could do this. It is possible.

The process is slow, and he has a lot of music to go through. After four hours of deliberation, Izuku has thirty songs, fifteen for each side of the tape. That is what the internet said is normal for cassette tapes.

Finding a cassette tape is a whole new ballgame. On Friday morning Izuku goes to Toshinori after his morning shift at Quirffee and asks if he knows where to get one.

"Let me educate you, Young Midoriya," Toshi says as they leave One for All and start the walk to a nearby record store.

"I've never noticed this shop before," Izuku says as he looks up at the sign that reads 'Windswept Records'.

"A good friend of mine owns the place." He opens the door and leads the way into the shop. It smells something akin to a library of old books and there are rows upon rows of vinyl records in cardboard sleeves lining every wall and shelf.

"Toshi, where have you been? Waiting for me to die of old age?" An older man with white hair asks as he steps from between a couple of dusty shelves.

"No, of course not, Sir," he replies. "I've just been busy with work and teaching Deku here a thing or two about life. Which is why we are here. Do you still sell cassette tapes?"

"Of course, I do. There is an entire wall over there," the man says, gesturing to a far corner. "Deku, eh? Aren't you that DJ at the nightclub across the way?"

"Yes, I am, Sir," Izuku replies politely.

"Tell me, DJ Deku, do you pre-mix all of your music like the other young kids these days?"

"Um yes, I do," he answers nervously.

"A waste of good talent if you ask me. Back in my day we mixed everything live as we played and used actual vinyl discs. That's why we were called disc jockeys. In the good old days, being a DJ was actual work," he grumbles.

Izuku can't help but light up with excitement. "You used to be a DJ? What was your DJ name?"

"I was a DJ, yes. I was DJ Gran Torino. I worked hard and played every club and bar that would have me. I made a name for myself. Now I just go by Gran Torino."

"It is nice to meet you, Gran Torino. I'm Midoriya Izuku, but you can call me Deku."

"Out of curiosity," Gran Torino says, eyeing Izuku suspiciously. "If you are a fancy DJ, why are you looking for cassette tapes?"

"I'm making a mixtape for my crush," he admits awkwardly.

"Do you even know how to make one?" The older man asks, gesturing for the pair to follow him.

"I was just going to look it up on the internet," Izuku answers, feeling even smaller than before.

"Let me teach you a thing or two, not just about making a mixtape to win a heart, but also how to be the best DJ you can be," Gran Torino says firmly.

Much to his irritation, but relief, Izuku is grateful that Gran Torino had offered him help. It irritates him because he now realizes how comfortable he is just being where he is in his skill level, and not just with DJing. Also, he is able to easily make the cassette tape with no more anxiety. He can now gift Todoroki a portable cassette player thanks to the owner of that dusty vinyl shop.

Izuku doodles a latte with a phoenix in the foam, making him smile a little. It's representative of the first latte he made at Quirffee.

"Midoriya, follow my lead and you will make an outstanding latte," Toshinori says, showing Izuku each step carefully. He watches like a hawk and commits everything to memory. When Toshinori draws a picture in the foam, it looks like a maple leaf and Izuku instantly falls in love. The latte is served with the lid off, so the patron can view it and choose to take a picture like so many of them do.

The next customer in line is one Todoroki Shouto, looking tired and yet surprised when he sees his best friend making his beverage. He smiles internally as he watches Izuku stick his tongue between his teeth in concentration as he pours the drink.

"Here is your latte, Sir," Izuku says, sliding it across the counter. It isn't until Shouto's fingers wrap around his own that he looks up, locking his emerald gaze to Shouto's heterochromatic one.

He couldn't tell how long they stood like that or either of them ever took a breath. The blood rushed through his ears and he could only just hear the music in the background of the café as everything else fell away. Izuku's stomach did a strange swoop and he had to work to swallow around the lump in his throat.

The heat seeping through the cup has Izuku coming back to the present and pulling his hand away. "Shouto," he manages to rasp out, pushing aside his feelings when he realizes he is still at a job interview.

Shouto gives him a genuine smile. "Thank you, Izuku."

In careful calligraphy, Izuku writes out the songs on the "Side A, Side B" card. Starting with the song that was playing on the day he realized his feelings at Quirffee.

**Side A: I Like You a Latte**

**1.Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop- Landon Pigg**

**2.Ho Hey- The Lumineers**

**3.Happy- NeverShoutNever**

**4.Love of My Life- Queen**

**5.Bright- Echosmith**

****6.** **Calling You- Blue October****

**7.Moments Like This- The Afters**

**8.You and Me- Lifehouse**

**9.Happily Ever After- He Is We**

**10.Kiss Me Slowly- Parachute**

**11.Next to Me- Imagine Dragons**

**12.Love Story- Taylor Swift**

**13.Still into You- Paramore**

**14.Do I Wanna Know?- Arctic Monkeys**

**15.Say You Won't Let Go- James Arthur**

**Side B: See You on the Flip Side**

**16.I'm Sticking with You- The Velvet Underground**

**17.Fall for You- Secondhand Serenade**

**18.Thinking Out Loud- Ed Sheeran**

**19.Love Somebody- Maroon 5**

**20.Things I'll Never Say- Avril Lavigne**

**21.Crush- David Archuleta**

**22.First Day of My Life- Bright Eyes**

**23.Teenage Dream- Katy Perry**

**24.Something Just Like This- Coldplay**

**25.Take My Breath Away- Berlin**

**26.One Call Away- Charlie Puth**

**27.Sway- Blue October**

**28.Sleep on the Floor- The Lumineers**

**29.Sweater Weather- The Neighbourhood**

**30.Can't Help Falling in Love- Kina Grannis**

In the very same calligraphy he used to write out all of the songs on the little cardboard insert, he writes a note to Todoroki. Nothing terribly important, just a little something to really push home the personal factor.

**Shouto,**

**I'm not even sure where to begin. Since that first day in the café with you, I knew how I felt about you. I was afraid to admit it to myself though. I was afraid it would push you away from me and I couldn't bear the thought of losing you. I tried dating other people, but I always felt like something was missing. You make me feel whole. Listen to the music on this tape and know that it is how I feel about you. I'll let the music talk where my words seem to fail me.**

**Sincerely, Izuku**

Satisfied with how everything has turned out, Izuku slips the letter into the cassette case and wraps a bow around the entire gift before laying it on Shouto's pillow. With a small smile, Izuku hoists his DJ duffle bags up on his shoulders and with one last look, turns out the light in the bedroom, leaving to Fire and Ice.

Friday and Saturday are both uneventful and Izuku welcomes Sunday gladly. He wakes up to the sound of a vacuum running in the living room of the basement, but he hears something else with it. Barely discernable above the whirring is Todoroki's voice. "And I see colors in a different way. You make what doesn't matter fade to grey. Life is good and that's the way it should be. You make me sing oh, la, la, la. You make a girl go oh oh. I'm in love, love."

Izuku almost can't believe what he is hearing. He can hardly fathom that Shouto sings, nonetheless that he sounds angelic while doing it. When the vacuum comes to a stop, so does the singing, much to Izuku's disappointment. He stretches and gets out of bed, set on getting a shower. When he walks out of the bedroom, Shouto is at the stove.

"Good morning, Midoriya," he greets. "I'm making soba for brunch. Would you like some?"

Izuku stares at him for a long minute before answering. "Yes, please. That would be great." As he locks the bathroom door, he hears it.

"Stay with me, baby stay with me. Tonight, don't leave me alone. Walk with me, come and walk with me. To the edge of all we've ever known." Shouto sings in such a heartfelt way that Izuku cracks the door open to make sure it is Shouto. It is definitely Shouto.

"Todoroki," Ochako says, sitting her plate of food down beside his on the dining room table as everyone takes a break from playing Magic. "Is your tattoo finished yet? Can I see it?"

Shouto looks taken aback at first but lifts his shirt to show her the outline on his chest. "I haven't set up a time with Midoriya to get it finished yet."

Everyone in the general vicinity leans in to take a look. They all mumble similar sentiments about how great it looks. Uraraka pipes up over all of them though. "Deku, you need to finish this tattoo."

Izuku walks in from the kitchen, pizza in his hand as he squints at the outlines on Shouto's chest. "That definitely looks like one of mine. Are you free tomorrow by chance? I don't have any appointments booked from noon to eight tomorrow, so I'll be twiddling my thumbs."

"Yes, that would work for me actually." Todoroki nods and Izuku mirrors the nod, taking a bite out of his pizza.

"Midoriya, is every piece of your art that beautiful?" Sero asks, turning his attention to Deku when they sit beside each other.

"I don't know about every piece, but tattoos get the best I can offer. Those are on someone's body forever, so they have to be as close to perfect as I can get them."

Deku is more nervous to work on Shouto than he should be, but he is tattooing his crush, in a tiny room, alone. It makes him jittery.

"Deku, this one is for you," Toshi says, showing Todoroki into the room.

"Thank you," he answers, breaking into a smile. Toshi leaves and Shouto holds out a disposable coffee cup to Izuku. "Thanks, I appreciate it." He takes a drink before putting on his professional façade. "You know the drill, I need you shirtless and on my table."

Shouto follows the directions and puts in earbuds before pushing play on the Walkman in his hand and closing his eyes. Deku doesn't miss the exaggerated actions or the small smirk on Todoroki's lips. He takes his time on the shading of Shouto's tattoo. Each movement is sure and confident and measured. If he thought the original art looked great on paper, it looks magnificent on Todoroki's skin. The dragon could almost fly off of his pec and the koi fish could swim around each other right there, no water needed.

Halfway through the three-hour appointment, Shouto's mixtape is completely played so he pulls the earbuds out of his ears. The silence is almost tense.

"How do you like the music?" Deku asks as he gathers red ink.

"I really enjoy it," Shouto admits quietly. "Thank you."

"You are very welcome." Izuku pauses and looks up at his crush. "Are you ready to go on a date with me yet or are you going to reject me again?" He doesn't intend for it to come out as bitter as it does, but the words have already left his mouth. No turning back.

"Are you asking me on a date right now?" Shouto asks evenly.

"Yes, I am," Izuku says, looking up at him again.

"Then yes, I'll go on a date with you."

Izuku smiles as he goes back to working on the tattoo under his fingers. His heart is beating rapidly, and his stomach is doing that weird swooping feeling again but he can't bring himself to care. Its Izuku's turn to sing, "I should be over all the butterflies, but I'm into you. And baby even on our worst nights, I'm into you. Let 'em wonder how we got this far, 'cause I don't really need to wonder at all. Yeah, after all this time I'm still into you."


	18. This is Halloween

The week leading up to the Halloween House Party, as everyone in the friend circle is calling it, has Izuku in full on party planner mode. Every moment not spent in class or at work is used to make lists and plans and then execute said lists and plans.

It starts with his favorite pizza man. Tokoyami is standing behind the counter when Izuku walks in. "Hey Fumikage. How are you?"

"I'm fine, Midoriya. What can I help you with?" He asks politely.

"We, the gang and I, are throwing a house party on Friday night so I want to go ahead and put in an order early so it will be ready that day," Izuku answers brightly.

"That is something I can help you with," he says with a smile, tucking a lock of his jet-black hair behind his ear. He pulls a notepad towards himself. "What's the order?"

They banter back and forth for a while over a combination of deals and coupons that will save money in the long run. By the end of it, Izuku is thanking Fumikage profusely for all of his help.

"It is no problem, Midoriya. It is my job after all."

"If you get a chance, you should come to the party. It would be great to have you there," Izuku says as he waves goodbye and walks out the door.

As he wanders up the pathway to the house, a voice from behind him gets his attention, making him jump a little. "Izuku! Hey!"

Izuku turns to see his friend coming toward him. "Hi Mirio, I didn't expect to see you so soon."

"I'm going to be making a lot of stops here this week. You requested a lot of alcohol." Mirio holds up several bags in his hands and on his arms to emphasize his point.

"I'm so sorry, let me help you," Izuku says, rushing to help lighten the load on his friend. "I really appreciate you doing this."

Toogata Mirio is in the same arts program as Izuku and they are relatively close friends. It is no secret that Mirio is always up for a party which is why the younger man had turned to him for help. Mirio has blonde hair that is always neatly tamed, muscles for days, and a gaze that makes anyone and everyone who meets him feel as if he can see right through them. His presence alone lights up a place just as much as Izuku's smile does. He has heard professor Aizawa mumble 'sunshine duo' to professor Mic once or twice in the halls.

They go into the house and stash the alcohol in the hall closet. "Can I interest you in something to drink?" He doesn't mean to make a pun but it's there and Mirio laughs and nods.

While in the kitchen, Mirio says, "you guys have a nice setup here. How do you all manage to live together so easily? I feel like my group of friends would destroy each other if they all lived together." He looks around and spots the friend collage in the dining room, inching over to it to get a closer look.

"It is easy really. Two of us are childhood friends, three of us have been friends since high school, and all six of us were roommates with each other in the dorms first before this," Izuku answers as he sits the glasses of tea on the table. "Rules are easy too. Be respectful, clean up after yourself, pull your weight, and be honest. Anything that arises outside of those rules goes to Roommate Court which is presided over by the Honorable Uraraka Ochako who is fair and understanding. To top it all off, we gather our nerdy group of friends together every Sunday to play Magic: The Gathering. It is a good way to keep all of our relationships healthy." Izuku points to the central picture of everyone gathered together.

"All of you work together like a well-oiled machine," Mirio says, taking a sip of his tea.

"It seems like it, but we actually have to use Roommate Court more than you know," he says with a wry smile. Mirio snorts into his tea but doesn't say anything more on the matter.

Instead, he changes the subject to the party. "Are you going to have food at the party or is it every man for himself?"

"I put in a very large pizza order for Friday, but once we run out then it is every man for himself."

"Clearly you will be set with alcohol if your list is any indication. What about entertainment?"

"Kacchan and Ashido both have blacklight beer pong tables that I am going to set up in living room two, there are several sets of playing cards for varying games, the dining table is reserved for either Magic or Battle Shots, or both. And DJ Deku will be providing the music for some of the night," Izuku explains matter-of-factly.

"I heard he played at a Beta party," Mirio says. "I also heard that he throat punched one of the AMU linebackers."

"It's all true, I was there," Izuku whispers, his tone playfully scandalous.

"No way!" Mirio exclaims in surprise. "I would love to get him to DJ one of Tamaki's parties. How do you get him to DJ a party?"

Izuku shrugs nonchalantly and says, "you just ask him."

"How do you know him?"

"I am him."

Mirio stares at Izuku for a long minute. "What?"

"I'm DJ Deku. See?" Izuku points to the pictures of him and Earphone Jack on the collage. "That is me. All you have to do is ask me, Mirio."

"Well I'll be damned." He leans back onto the table with his arms crossed over his chest. "Who would have thought that cute, innocent Izuku had it in him to punch someone."

The compliment tinges his cheeks and he asks, "that's what you take away from the big reveal?"

"That sums it up, yeah," Mirio says with a smirk. "I have to get going. Thank you for the tea. I'll text you later to find out when is a good time to make another delivery and I'll also relay the info to Tamaki about you. He'll be thrilled." Izuku shows him to the door and with another thank you, Mirio leaves.

With item number two well under way thanks to his sunshine twin, Izuku can move on to number three: the house. He doesn't have a solid number on how many people will be showing up, however, since Eijirou will be bringing the Betas, the nerd group is inviting their other friends, and Mirio will be bringing Amajiki and his friends then there is no doubt that it will be a lot of people. It may even rival a Beta party.

In just two days, he has all of the outside yardwork complete and the inside of the house ready. The furniture is moved out of the way or arranged in a manner to give people more space. Both of the beer pong tables are set up in living room two, blacklights included. Anything breakable or personal is put away safely in the basement closet and all of the party necessities such as plastic cups, ice, and alcohol are organized and ready.

After his final class on Thursday, Izuku comes home to a surprise. He is met with a pacing Todoroki when he comes in the front door. "Hey Shouto, are you okay?" Izuku asks nervously.

"Yes, I am. I was waiting for you," he answers slowly. "I know you asked me on a date and all, but I'm really excited so I was wondering if you would go on a date with me?"

"Right now?"

"Uh, yeah, right now." Shouto stops his pacing.

"Where are we going?"

"Are you saying yes?" Izuku nods. "To the dining room." Todoroki offers his arm to his date who takes it. They walk together to the dining room where there are candles lit on the table and two bowls of salad as well as bowls of soup. The only thing out of place is Kacchan, who is standing beside the door that leads to the kitchen, wearing his signature apron.

They sit at the table and Bakugou introduces himself as their chef and waiter for the evening. He brings them water, soda, and wine to drink and then excuses himself to check on the entrees.

"Wow Shouto, you really put a lot of effort into this date. It is very nice," Izuku praises as he takes a bite of his salad.

"To be honest, part of this is that I'm really excited to date you. Another part of this is an apology for the Magic mishap. I mean of course I want to date you, but your massages are so good," Todoroki confesses after taking a sip of his water.

"You can always just ask," Izuku says with a giggle. Shouto looks at him sheepishly and he can't help but think he looks adorable that way.

Conversation flows easily over the entrée, Katsuki's katsudon, which is Inko's recipe. Dessert is triple chunk brownie a la mode, and then the date is winding down. Todoroki and Izuku walk to their room and stop at the closed door.

"I had a really good time tonight," Izuku says as he tucks a green curl behind his ear and plays with his keys that aren't actually needed for the door. He hopes Todoroki will pick up on his cheesy romcom hints.

"I'm glad to hear that," he says. And now he is leaning forward, closing the gap between them. When their lips connect there is nothing sweet and chaste about it like with Kirishima or familiar and comforting like with Kacchan. No, this kiss makes every inch of his skin feel like fire and the air in his lungs evaporates from the heat. A shiver runs the length of his spine and there goes that strange swooping feeling in his stomach. The kiss relays everything that Shouto feels for him to every nerve in his body so Izuku relays his own back too. The exchange of information gets processed quickly and Izuku finds himself slipping his tongue between Shouto's slightly parted lips. Todoroki moans quietly at the intrusion and welcomes it, slipping his tongue against Midoriya's. the kiss doesn't last for more than thirty seconds but by the time both men separate they are dizzy and gasping for air.

"Wow," Shouto whispers and Izuku nods in agreement.

Clearing his throat, Izuku asks, "would you like to come inside for a drink or something?"

Shouto smiles and answers, "or something," before following his crush into their room.

A couple of hours later, Izuku extracts himself from Shouto's sleeping form and goes to the kitchen for a glass of water and one of Katsuki's triple chunk brownies.

"How did it go, Nerd?" Kacchan's low voice asks from behind him. He turns from the sink, a bite of brownie in his mouth and a glass of water in his hand, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. "You're a disgrace to fucking humankind if you have water instead of milk with your brownie," Katsuki scoffs indignantly.

"But Kacchan," Izuku starts, swallowing his bite.

"No," Katsuki says firmly, cutting him off. "A la mode doesn't count because it is ice cream which is dairy. Now, you heathen, how was after the date? And don't lie to me, you uncultured swine."

"We kissed at the bedroom door like a romcom and then went inside and got busy in my bed." Izuku takes a sip of water, almost spitting it out from laughing at Katsuki's stunned face. "We made out, I asked him to be my boyfriend, he said yes. Then he played Jump! Froppy Jump! Until he fell asleep and I played Ingenium Run until I got thirsty."

"That was misleading as fuck and you know it," Katsuki says, irritated.

"Did you want the dirty details to my non-existent sex life, Kacchan?" Izuku teases as he eats the rest of his snack.

"Can't blame a perv for trying," he answers with a smirk.

"Don't worry Kacchan," Izuku says, pausing at the door to the basement to cast a mischievous grin at his friend. "When it happens, I'll call you during, so you can listen." He cackles before closing the door on Katsuki's indecipherable screeching.

Ochako is left in charge of the Halloween House Party until Izuku gets back from his shift at One for All Tattoos. It has barely started when he arrives at 8:15pm.

"Hey, it's Deku!" Several voices call out as he approaches the house. Eijirou and the rest of Beta house are approaching from the other end of the sidewalk.

They meet in front of the house and Izuku gives them a brilliant smile. "It's great to see you guys again! Come on in and get comfortable, please." He leads the march into the house, going straight to his bedroom.

"How was work, Midoriya?" Todoroki asks, emerging from the closet in a white t-shirt with a black button up over top of it though none of the buttons are done. His jeans are slung low over his hips with his signature white Converse to complete it. Izuku swallows dryly despite the fact that he wants to drool over his drop-dead gorgeous boyfriend. "Midoriya? Work?" He asks again, looking concerned.

"It was fine. I'm sorry. You distracted me with your," he pauses to rake his eyes over Shouto's body again. "Hips."

Shouto looks amused as he sits on Izuku's bed. He watches as the greenette searches through his side of the closet for something to put on. "I bought you something to wear," Todoroki says casually. He points to a gift bag sitting on Izuku's nightstand.

"Shouto, you didn't have to," he says as he picks up the bag and pulls out a complete DJ outfit, shoes included. The tank top is orange and reads 'DJ Material' in blue lettering. The shorts are the same blue as the letters and the Converse are orange. Typical Todoroki.

Izuku quickly strips down to his boxers, briefly panicking about his boyfriend seeing his semi-erect cock but decides if he doesn't make it a big deal then Todoroki won't either. He ignores the heterochromatic eyes that travel down past his waist in favor of pulling on the shirt. It hugs him in all the right places and Shouto lets out a low hum of approval that has Izuku rushing to put the shorts on before anything got bigger.

Once the shoes are on and tied, he stands in front of the mirror to check himself out. All of the colors make his green hair and eyes more prominent. Arms encompass his waist and a soft kiss is placed on his freckled shoulder. "You look amazing."

He turns to face Shouto. "Kiss me? I've missed you." There it is, the smile that is reserved for only Izuku. They melt into a kiss, arms wrapping around each other tightly as if the other will just up and disappear. Pulling away for air, Izuku says, "we should get going. We can sneak back down here later." He makes sure to lock the bedroom door once they leave, both of them very uptight about their privacy.

"Go get 'em," Shouto says with a wink and a light slap to Izuku's ass as they part ways at the top of the stairs. He stands frozen as he watches Todoroki's retreating back with a dumbfound expression. He can't help but wonder what happened to his shy, adorable boyfriend. The smirk that Kacchan is giving him tells him all he needs to know. That blonde is something else.

His next to final stop is the kitchen for a couple of beers and bottles of water. Walking through the dining room, Izuku playfully hip checks Ashido to get her attention.

"Hey Mido, what's up?" She asks, bubbly as ever.

"I'm going to start soon. Will you be there, front and center, to start the real party?" He bats his eyelashes playfully. Maybe the party is just helping everyone let loose for once.

"Anything for the best boy!"

"Thanks Mina, you are the greatest," he replies before continuing to Living Room One.

The way it is organized, the couch is diagonal to a corner and behind it is his DJ equipment on a small, foldable table. Any tables that were removed and put in other parts of the house to hold cups and alcohol. He slips his mask over his face and asks Kaminari to budge up off the couch long enough for him to clamber over it to his stuff. Denki happily complies and watches as Deku checks over the sound system and speaker connections before turning to his computer and scrolling through his set list.

A tap to the space bar has the first song flowing to the ears of the party goers. It's loud enough to be attention grabbing throughout the entire house, but not overpowering. Izuku immediately starts to remix it, right there in the living room. He bounces with the beat and sways his hips as his fingers dance around his mixer and soundboard, headphones on tightly. He quickly realizes Gran Torino wasn't lying when he said it would be actual work.

As Izuku sets up to fade to a new song, he catches Mina come in and, with her drink in hand, start swinging her hips in the middle of the makeshift dance floor. As long as one person wanted his music then all of the work will be worth it. He crossfades to song number two and starts catching glimpses of more and more people filter in to watch Mina dance. Kirishima steps out of the group to join her while Katsuki leans against the wall, watching with his usual scowl in place.

Deku ditches his mask in favor of drinking some beer. The action pulls Kacchan's gaze to him and Izuku salutes him with the bottle in his hand. A phantom of a smile crosses Katsuki's face as he returns the gesture.

At the end of the first hour of DJing, Deku puts on one of his pre-mixed lists and politely asks if he can squeeze over the couch between EJ and Momo. Both girls make room and he thanks them, wandering off in search of a drink. One is pushed into his hand by a flushed Todoroki. It is vibrantly blue and tastes strongly of tequila.

"Are you having fun?" Izuku asks breathlessly.

"Yes, I am," Shouto answers, licking his lips.

"What is in this?"

"All of the good stuff."

"Excellent," Izuku says with a smirk. "Because you are all of the best stuff."

The arrival of Mirio and Amajiki are announced by cheers and greetings shortly after Deku returns to his DJ post. He starts a new remix and drinks another bottle of water as another one of the beautiful, blue drinks is delivered to his table. Damn his boyfriend for being a great bartender.

The night is a blur. At some point he sets up another already mixed playlist as he goes in search of another drink. He is roped into a round of beer pong. He's paired up with Amajiki against Mirio and Sero. Though he has never played before, both he and Amajiki dominate the table. Twice.

Shouto is making people drinks at random, pushing them into open hands when Izuku finds him next. He grabs his boyfriend by the hips and pulls him close, kissing him senseless before simply walking away in search of goodness only knows what.

Tokoyami walks in through the front door as he passes by. "Welcome my new friend! You made it!"

"Are you sure you want me here? I'm not really the party type and I don't really know your friends," Tokoyami says politely.

"Let's introduce you to people so they won't be strangers anymore." Izuku leads him around the house, introducing everyone and telling them about how he's been the delivery guy every Sunday since they started Game Night. By the time Izuku parts from Fumikage, he has been absorbed into the friend group. Good luck getting out now.

Iida and Ochako are locked into a fierce game of Battle Shots that Iida is actually winning. His cheeks are ruddy, and his usually prim manners are nowhere to be seen as he yells, "drink that shot you pretty little loser!" Everyone in the immediate area begins laughing, Ochako the loudest of them all.

By 3am, the party has trickled to an end. Deku winds down the music and checks on everyone in the house before going to the basement. The sight that greets him there is one that has him feeling a mixture of horror and extreme embarrassment. There, on the couch, is Ashido and three Betas. All of them are completely naked and Mina is riding one of the Betas and has another's cock in her mouth. The third is in her hand as she jerks it off.

Izuku skirts around the entirety of the room before slipping into his room and shutting the door quietly and locking it.

"Hey 'Zuku. Are you okay? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

"C-can we c-cuddle and talk about it?"

Shouto sidles over to one side of his bed and opens the covers for Izuku who quickly strips to his boxers and climbs under them, appreciating the warmth that sinks into his skin.

"What happened?"

"Mina is, um, you know, uh, getting gangbanged on the couch out there."

"Oh. Oh? What is the issue here? She's an adult and sex is sex." Todoroki just stares at him passively.

"I've just never seen sex before. I just didn't expect it to be so, I don't know," he trails off awkwardly.

"Not even porn?"

"Not even porn."

"Why not?" Shouto asks. His stoic expression makes Izuku feel on edge.

"I just never really thought about it. I'm always working or studying or picking up a hobby. If I felt, you know, turned on or whatever, I'd just keep myself busy until it passed. I'm not really sure why. Is that weird?"

"Everything is weird and yet nothing is weird. Don't worry about it too much. Maybe give it a try sometime though? You won't know if it's your thing if you don't try it. On a more important note, if you haven't even watched porn, how do you know what a gangbang is?" Shouto asks curiously.

"Kacchan."

"That explains everything."

"Hey Shou? I know Kacchan has been giving you relationship pointers. Intuition," Izuku says, answering before Todoroki can ask how he knows. "Just don't change because of it." He tucks his head into Shouto's chest. "I fell in love with you because you are you. It's okay to change but do it for yourself." Within seconds, his breathing is even as sleep engulfs him.

Todoroki plants a soft kiss to his temple. "Same to you."

His body feels heavy when he wakes up and that seems to be the extents of the damages to himself from the alcohol he had consumed last night. He extracts himself from Todoroki and unlocks the door, cautiously poking his head out.

Mina is asleep under a letterman jacket, no Betas in sight. Toeing his way up the stairs and onto the main level of the house, Izuku catches Kirishima giving Bakugou a departing kiss at the front door. As he takes in his surroundings, much to his utter surprise, the house is clean.

"What happened here?" He asks Katsuki who looks surprised to see him. "What time is it?"

"It's 9am. The Betas cleaned the house before they left. It wasn't just out of the kindness of their hearts. It counts toward their service hours which they are severely behind on," Kacchan explains, running a hand down the side of his face.

"How?"

"Because I signed the damn paper confirming it. I'm going back to sleep." He stomps up the stairs, leaving Izuku to his thoughts. The conversation with Shouto just won't leave him and he decides to check on Ashido.

"Hey," he whispers as he gently shakes her shoulder.

She squints her eyes against the light above her. "Hey."

"Would you like to get breakfast with me? My treat," he asks with a small smile. She looks a little wary at first but nods. "Wait right here." He comes back a moment later with his smallest pair of sweatpants and a shirt with an AMU hoodie. "Your clothes ended up with vomit on them last night. You were running about the house in your bra and panties. I'll meet you at the front door."

"Thanks for the clothes," Mina says as she gathers up eggs on her fork. They had both agreed to eat at a nearby restaurant. "I want to apologize to you about the um, couch situation last night. I saw you creeping around the room and you looked horrified. I'm really sorry." She looks like a kicked puppy.

"Actually, I want to ask you a few questions if that is okay," he states softly. She nods slowly as she sits her fork down. "Are you okay? You were really drunk last night, and I just need to make sure you're okay with what happened." His voice is full of concern.

"I'm okay. I'm very horny when I'm drunk so if anything, I took advantage of those guys." She laughs lightly and its free of anything negative, almost carefree.

"Thank goodness you're okay. There is something else and normally I would ask Kacchan or Iida but honestly, I think you're the person to ask for this one. Will this stay between us?"

"Sure thing, Mido. People think I only gossip, but that isn't true. I'm full of secrets. Hit me with your best shot."

Izuku bites his lip, eyes darting around to look at anything except the pink haired woman before him. "I've never watched porn before or touched myself." He can feel his cheeks burning like molten lava as he examines his hands. "Todoroki says I should try it at least once. I'm hoping that maybe you would have some recommendations. I'm not completely ignorant about it, but I could use a point in the right direction." Izuku feels even more stupid when he says it out loud.

For the next hour and a half, Ashido gives him plenty of directions, answering all of his questions and making jokes to ease his tension. How has he never realized that she is so cool and easy to chat with?

"Mina, I need to change something about my appearance. I feel so stagnant. What do you think about me getting my hair cut?" He sips from his third cup of coffee as she scrutinizes his appearance.

"What about a piercing? What about both? It could fit all of your jobs too! Edgy barista? Check. Carefree DJ? Check. Badass tattoo artist? Check. It would be perfect." She concludes as she claps her hands together.

Izuku considers her words and decides he is feeling a little ballsy. "Will you come with me?"

Mina seems surprised yet eager to receive the invitation. "Of course, I will!"

**Izuku:** Do you have any openings today?  
**Hitoshi:** Why? Have someone for me to poke?  
**Izuku:** Yes. Me.  
**Hitoshi:** You sure?  
**Izuku:** Positive. Won't trust anyone else but you.  
**Hitoshi:** I'm flattered. Where am I poking you? One or more?  
**Izuku:** More.  
**Izuku: [MMS Sent]**  
**Hitoshi: [MMS Received]**  
**Hitoshi:** Can do. Are you going through a life crisis?  
**Izuku:** Thanks. More like life change.  
**Hitoshi:** When will you be here?  
**Izuku:** 30 minutes.  
**Hitoshi:** I'll be waiting.

"Shinsou can fit me in this morning," Izuku says to Ashido.

"You're a man who gets things done. I like that."

The walk to One for All is filled with Mina's light chatter about the party and piercings which she apparently has several of below her neckline. The autumn air is crisp and chilly on their faces as leaves crunch loudly under their shoes. It's funny how time seems to fly.

The bell over the door to the shop tinkles as they enter and Toshinori looks surprised to see him. "Young Midoriya, did you forget that it's your day off?"

Izuku smiles with amusement. "No, I didn't forget. I'm here so Shinsou can poke some holes in my face."

"Oh! That is quite the turn of events then." He does all of the necessary paperwork and payment before Shinsou emerges from the back.

"Ashido Mina this is Shinsou Hitoshi," Izuku introduces the two as they follow him back to the piercing room.

"I like your hair," Mina says as she settles into the guest's chair and looks around the room.

The corner of Hitoshi's mouth quirks up almost imperceptibly. "I was just about to tell you the same thing."

"Thank you, that's so sweet of you!"

Shinsou nods at her politely before turning to Izuku and putting on his professional front. "You're absolutely sure about this?" Nod. "Eyebrow, septum, lip, and both ears?" Another nod. "I'll walk you through the sizes and placements and all the other fun stuff to know. You aren't going to pass out on me, right?"

"Really 'Toshi? Mama didn't raise a bitch." Izuku fakes an offended look at his friend.

"We will find out if that is true or not."

None of them seemed to hurt as bad as Izuku had originally guessed they would. The worst in his opinion was the septum piercing.

"Ice is your best friend today and maybe a little bit tomorrow too. Keep them clean per the printed care instructions and DO NOT fiddle with them," Shinsou explains, slapping Izuku's hand away from his nose. He turns to Ashido. "Will I ever get the pleasure of poking you?"

"Anytime you want to," she answers, blushing slightly.

"I can't believe my innocent virgin ears just heard both of you hitting on each other," Izuku says as Ashido leads him to her favorite salon.

"Why? He seems like a decent guy," she reasons, holding the door open for him.

"Thank you. Hitoshi is great, he is just a loner most of the time. Whatever works for both of you though. I don't judge," he says with a shrug as the smell of salon shampoo tickles his nose.

"Mina my babe, is that you I hear?" A voice says suddenly. Izuku looks around for the source and finds no one.

"It is me, Darling!" Mina shrieks back in answer.

"Who's your friend?" The invisible person asks.

Ashido nudges him to speak. "I'm Deku."

The invisible person becomes visible as she stalks out of a room in the back. She is tan and almost appears glowing, her long brown hair is pulled up into a messy bun on top of her head, and her brown eyes are shining brightly. "As in the DJ?" She looks between the both of them as they nod at the same time. "Oh yeah! I love dancing to your music at Fire and Ice, it is so good," she gushes enthusiastically.

Deku bows his head humbly before saying, "be sure to stop by during the block party. DJ Earphone Jack and I are working together to bring everyone something new and exciting."

"I'll be there. How rude of me. I'm Hagakure Tooru by the way. What brings you in today?"

"Deku here needs a new hairstyle," Mina says excitedly.

"Well let's not waste any more time then. To the chair with you."

When the bedroom door opens, Izuku is thankful that he is hiding under his blanket with an ice pack pressed to his eyebrow which seems to be the most swollen of all his new piercings. He and Mina had parted ways once they went back to the house and he grabbed an ice pack before calling his mom to confirm that she was still expecting him today. Being a kind son to her, he did inform her of the recent changes to his appearance. As expected, she told him she stands with him no matter what. The only thing he hadn't taken into consideration in his excitement high was his boyfriend. What was he going to think?

"Are you awake, Midoriya?"

Oh boy. "Nope, I am most definitely asleep."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm okay. I'll be leaving soon to go to my mom's house for the night."

His bed dips as Todoroki sits down by his legs. "I know. I know what time of year it is."

"I made some drastic decisions this morning, Shouto." Anxiety curls in his gut and a sheen of cold sweat covers his body.

"Would you like to share them with me?"

"What if you hate them? What if you decide to leave me? I should've talked to you first, but I was so excited."

"I'm not going anywhere. Please, Izuku. I want to know."

Ever so slowly, Izuku pulls the blanket off of his face and sits up into the light. "Holy shit," Shouto whispers.

"Yep." Deku starts to bite his lip and hisses at the sensitivity there, quickly releasing it. "What do you think?"

"The undercut suits you really well. Those piercings make your level of sexiness go from 1,000% to 1,000,000%. I'd love to kiss you but I'm sure you're sore, so I'll wait. When you feel better though, you better watch your back and your lips," Shouto says in a low voice. He kisses Izuku on the cheek. "Can I please run my fingers through your hair?"

Midoriya's cheeks are hot as he nods, sighing when Shouto's long fingers caress through the short, shaved hair at the back of his head. Izuku rests his forehead against his boyfriend's, his thumb stroking Shouto's jawline before slipping his hand into his bi-colored hair. "Kiss me softly?" He breathes against Shouto's lips.

"Are you sure?" Nod. "Yes." Their lips press together lightly and Izuku feels complete, finally.

Inko had sat through all of Izuku's thrilling tales about the Halloween party and the hair cut as well as the piercings. He even confessed about his relationship status with Todoroki. She took all of it in stride, telling him that she would support him in all of his choices.

And that is why, as he sits at his father's grave, praying to him, he doesn't feel uneasy or ashamed. He knows his father would agree with his mom which brings him comfort despite the silent tears that make tracks down his cheeks. It is said that time heals all wounds and yet Izuku disagrees. There is still a deep void in his heart and soul from his dad's death. All he can do is continue to push onward.

The visit with his mom ends too quickly and soon enough he finds himself back on the front porch of the college house as the sun sets behind him. Back to the grind.

Things go back to normal on Tuesday and Izuku finds himself occupied by a new train of thought. It makes him tense and he blushes every time he thinks about it which seems to be often. He hasn't tried masturbating yet. Opting to start with porn, he lays down on Tuesday nights and hops from video to video and category to category. Much to his surprise, his cock becomes harder and harder with each video, clear precum soaking into his boxers. As he begins snaking his hand down his body under the blanket, Shouto enters the room and Izuku aborts his mission, staying uncomfortably hard for much too long, but he eventually calms down.

By early evening on Wednesday, Izuku is frustrated and fuming. If his boyfriend isn't walking in on him throughout the day, then his mother is calling or Ochako is paying him a visit.

Stomping into the kitchen for some juice, Izuku finds Katsuki and Iida eating at the island. With a huff he says, "can I ask you both a personal question?"

"Yes, you may, Midoriya," Iida says firmly as Kacchan nods.

"How do you get privacy to masturbate?"

"The shower," they answer in unison and then both of them laugh together.

"Ugh, I'd really prefer my first time to be in the comfort of my own bed." He catches himself too late and turns to see both of his friends gaping at him.

"First time? Really?" Iida asks, breaking the awkward silence.

"Uh yeah, unfortunately. Every time I get ready to do it or I'm in the middle of doing it, Shouto comes in and ruins it. I know he's my boyfriend, but I mean, it's a personal thing." He looks between them, feeling uneasy.

"Listen close, Nerd. It is a sin that you have never touched yourself completely. Iida and I are going to run some pass interference for you and keep Todoroki at bay. I know he'll be coming through the door soon so go get to work. We will buy you some time so use it well. Go," Kacchan says forcefully and Izuku wastes no precious seconds going to his room and locking the door.

He is naked and pulling up his favorite videos in the matter of a minute. Focusing in on the action playing on his phone screen has his cock hardening steadily and he coats his hand in lube as Mina had suggested. When he wraps his hand around it he gasps in a breath.

Slowly, he starts to work his hand up and down his length, fingers barely touching around his girth. He tests out different pressures until he finds one he likes and then he tries out various wrist movements and stroking patterns. Once he is comfortable with everything, Izuku hones his attention back to the porn playing on his phone. Getting antsy, he turns the volume up and immediately notes that it was the right thing to do.

Two guys are going at it hard, but it's the sounds of the guy on top moaning while the guy on the bottom is begging for more that really get him going. Izuku's cock twitches in his hand as an unfamiliar heat rapidly blazes to life and grows in his lower abdomen. Part of him wants to turn away from the feeling, but the better part of his brain pushes him forward. His hand moves as fast as it can go on his throbbing member as his toes curl. He can still hear the dirty words and lewd sounds coming from the speaker of his device which as now been dropped to the bed in favor of that hand gripping the sheets below him. The spring coiling in his gut snaps making Izuku's back go rigid while his vision flashes white. He throws his head back into his pillow. "OH, FUCK ME DADDY!" He screams as pleasure wracks his body, wave after wave washing over him rapidly. He doesn't get to bask in the glory of his first orgasm for very long though. A stripe of his cum splatters into his hair, into his eye, into his nose, and into his mouth.

Frozen in confusion, it takes his lust addled mind time to comprehend exactly what just happened. And then the burning starts. He panics and then panics more when there is a knock on his bedroom door. He jerks the sheet up around his body and, after unlocking the door, flings it open, throwing Ochako to the side with it. Somehow, he makes it to the bathroom in a few paces, slamming and locking the door behind him. He ignores Ochako's knocking and yells from the other side.

She finally gives up, going to search for help. It's an opportune moment when Iida, Bakugou, and Todoroki saunter in through the front door. "Guys! Something is wrong with Deku!" As they walk down the stairs, she explains about the yelling and him bolting to the bathroom and not responding to her. Bakugou and Iida share a look between them not caught by the other two.

Katsuki holds out an arm to stop Todoroki from knocking on the door, giving a shake of his head. "Hey nerd?" He asks through the door, smirking at the bedsheet caught in it.

Silence and then, "Kacchan?"

"No, it's Santa Claus. Have you been naughty or nice?"

"Naughty," he whispers so low that Katsuki almost misses it. "Are you alone? Can anyone else hear us?"

"Hold on." He turns to the group and directs them into the kitchenette, glaring at them if they even breathe wrong. Going back to the door he says, "we will keep whispering even though they are away. What happened?"

"Kacchan, I need you to be honest with me here. Will I really go blind if I keep masturbating?"

"Hah? Where did you hear that?"

"Your mom said it to my mom once. That's why I haven't done it before. My mom said it to me in a very serious way and swore she wasn't lying, Kacchan." He sounds so innocent and stressed out.

It takes everything in Katsuki not to laugh. Clearing his throat, he answers, "no you're a dork, that won't happen ever. Why do you ask?" The answer is an incoherent mumble. "Can't hear you."

The door cracks open just enough to reveal a wide, emerald eye and a flushed cheek. "I got it in my eye." Izuku sounds mortified.

"Got what in your-" Katsuki cuts himself off as realization dawns on him. "At least it wasn't your dominant eye." Then he is laughing, uncontrolled and unrestrained as Izuku keeps staring at him in horror.

Once Bakugou catches his breath and the last chuckles subside, he tells Izuku to reel in the rest of the sheet and he will get him some clothes. Upon returning he passes them through the crack in the door and tells the embarrassed boy he turned off the porn that was still playing on his phone.

Izuku closes the door and slides down to the floor. What in the hell is going to tell everyone else?


	19. The Unmasked Mistress

A shower is very much welcomed after the masturbation incident. It gives Izuku time to figure out what lie he will tell Ochako and Shouto. Nothing, he felt sick. The truth, he was masturbating. He could always leave out the embarrassing part. That seems like the best plan of action.

The hope that his friends had dispersed while he was in there is quickly dashed when he sees them sitting together on the couch. Both of them look up when he walks out and all three of them just stare at each other until it is uncomfortable.

"Uraraka, I sincerely apologize for hitting you with the door and making you worry," Izuku says stiffly.

"You're forgiven. Now what the heck happened?" She asks, standing up and putting her hands on her hips.

"I was having personal time," he admits, shoulders drooping in defeat.

"Personal ti-," Ochako cuts herself off, eyes widening as the information sinks in.

"About time," Todoroki comments from the couch. The conversation ends there much to Izuku's relief.

The Halloween Block Party is one of the largest events at AMU. By all technicalities, the weekend long event is not endorsed or supported in any way by the university, however, they don't stop you from partying on the campus. It engulfs the entirety of the little city surrounding AMU, even closing down roads.

Izuku is on walk-in duty at One for All. There are several of them before his shift ends early at 7pm. Toshi is letting him out early so he can set up and rehearse with Jirou one more time before Fire and Ice fills up with people. Bodies will be wall to wall in the club this weekend.

"Toshinori," Izuku says, pausing by the older man's workspace before he leaves. "I don't know if I've ever told you this before or not, but I wholeheartedly appreciate you and everything you have done and continue to do for me."

"If I didn't know better, I would think you are leaving the shop for good," Toshi answers, pausing his work to look at him.

"No, I just want you to know that you shape my life for the better."

"I am happy to hear that. Now get out of here before you make me cry. And Midoriya, I expect your music to make my shop vibrate with all that bass tonight," Toshi says with a smile as he returns to his work.

"I will surpass your expectations."

It takes him quite some time to haul his equipment through the bodies that crowd him from all sides on the sidewalks. He is relieved to exit the crowd and walk down the alley to the back entrance of the club. The relief he feels is quickly replaced with nausea and confusion as he reaches the backdoor.

"What is going on here?" He whispers to himself, not taking his eyes off of the scene before him.

"No idea, bro. It just started happening," Camie answers.

"What do I do?"

"Crack the whip, Indiana," Camie says.

Izuku taps into his innermost Kacchan attitude as he walks over to the picnic table. "Excuse you, fucking extra," Izuku growls out to the two men who are engaged in a deep kiss.

Both of them pull apart, one looking shocked and the other, confused. "Can I help you?" The taller one asks.

"You sure can, Mountain Troll," Izuku snarls out, adrenaline bleeding into every fiber of his being. "I'd like to know why you're playing hockey with my boyfriend's tonsils."

"Your boyfriend? Shouto is my boyfriend, he has been for four months," Jolly Green Giant says matter-of-factly.

"Wait a minute," Izuku snaps, turning to face Todoroki. "Are you telling me that I'm the mistress?"

Shouto's brain seems to start working again, but he has not caught up to the current line of conversation yet. "I thought you were getting out of work at 8pm?"

"You thought wrong. Why the hell am I the other guy? I mean, you took me on a date, kissed and cuddled me, and made us official, but you already had someone. What gives, Fuck Nut?" Izuku can feel his rage boiling under his skin and yet his mind is calm and focused. It almost feels dangerous.

"This is really awful," Shouto says quietly. "I have like Inasa for a while and we started dating, but then you came along and confessed, and I felt bad for you and your terrible luck with men, so I went along with it. I don't really know what else to say to you."

Izuku squints at him with all of the fire he can muster, "so not only am I your mistress, but I'm your Mistress of Pity. That is very classy, Todoroki. In case you are too ignorant to figure it out, like everything else apparently, we are done and over with. That includes our friendship. I'm no one's pity project and I don't have time for you and your wayward morals. Kindly fuck off," Izuku spits out with finality.

Turning on his heels sharply, Izuku sets off into the club, a thank you given to Camie as she gives him a high five and holds the door open for him. He doesn't drop his brisk pace until he is on the platform. There is an overwhelming feeling to punch something and it has replaced the adrenaline in his limbs. Frustration sets in because there is nothing for him to hit.

Pulling out his phone, he decides to call Kacchan since he always seems to have the answers. Katsuki picks up at the second ring. "What do you want?"

"Can you believe that Todoroki was cheating on me?! No, not on me, with me! I was the other guy, Kacchan! All because he pitied me and my fucking feelings!" He paces back and forth furiously.

"Say 'fucking' again, that was hot," Bakugou teases.

"Go to hell, Kacchan!" The anger starts to subside. Turning around he spots Shouto watching him with concern. "Get the fuck off of my platform, Todoroki!"

Shouto puts his hands up in surrender and walks up the stairs, revealing a surprised Jirou from behind him. Izuku hangs up on Katsuki and lets out a shaking breath.

"You, uh, doing alright, Midoriya?" She asks, taking his equipment and setting it up as he takes some deep breaths.

"Shouto and I broke up because he had a second boyfriend. I was the second boyfriend." Izuku just stands there numbly.

"That bitch," Jirou gasps, sounding scandalized.

"I know," he agrees as if that sums up every little detail and feeling. They stare at each other before they both start laughing. He isn't sure why they are laughing, and he hopes he hasn't lost his sanity somewhere along the rollercoaster of life that he has just experienced. Something about Jirou, the club, and the laughter just helps settle his hurt and anger, at least for now.

"I needed that," Izuku says breathlessly as he helps set up the extra equipment they have for the weekend.

"I'll be here all night," Jirou says with a smile. "On a more serious note though, we have 25 minutes to make sure all of this stuff is hooked up and the transitions are smooth. Are we ready to test it all out?"

"Yes, Captain. We'll keep our walkies on channel two so everyone else can use channel one. Let's do this," Izuku says, feeling the familiar buzz of excitement. He flips between the DJ cams and the DJ name videography and makes the appropriate adjustments. They pair their computers together and pull up the music they will be sharing. They test out a song and everything goes perfect. No hitches or complications.

Real Time Remixes is an idea that was sparked by several different events in Izuku's life and Jirou got on board with the challenge very quickly. The club goers chose the music and both EJ and Deku would duel against each other to make the best mixes right then and there. Each of them have a camera on them where people can watch them work too. Fuyumi was rather impressed by the idea and insisted on it being done during Block Party weekend. She said it would set Fire and Ice apart from every other bar and club in town.

"I haven't had the chance to tell you, but those piercings are awesome. Where did you get them done?" EJ asks while Izuku pulls his harness up to her platform by the safety wire.

"Thank you," he says, turning to look at her so he won't be tempted to look at Todoroki who is openly staring at him. "I got them done at One for All. Hitoshi is amazing." He pauses for a moment before taking a new tangent. "I'm not using my mask anymore when I DJ."

"Why?"

"I'm not in high school anymore. People don't bully me or hate me now and if they do, I don't care. I just think it is time," Deku says with confidence and finality.

"Alright everybody, doors open in one minute. Get to your positions. Earphone, please start the music. Deku, you get to relax until RTR start at 10pm. Everyone stay safe," Fuyumi says over the radio.

"Let's do this," EJ says excitedly.

"I won't wander too far away from here so if you need anything, let me know."

"Do you have the bracelets for everyone? Are you going to go find them?"

"Yes, that's the plan," Izuku says with a departing wave.

After putting on his DJ outfit, the first one his mother had made for him, he walks outside and checks his phone. Kacchan called him six times and Kirishima called him three times. He dials Kacchan back.

"Where are you?" Katsuki asks when he picks up.

"I'm outside of Fire and Ice."

"That's where I am, and I don't see you," he says impatiently.

"I'm heading out front now," Izuku says with a sigh as he walks to the front of the building. He spots his friend group at the other end of the block. "Found you." He hangs up and jogs down to them.

"Deku!" Ochako shouts, running to him and throwing her arms around him. "We all heard the news. Todoroki is so stupid. He has really irked me!"

"Way to keep quiet, Kacchan," Izuku says, rolling his eyes.

"You're not the only one who is angry, Nerd," Bakugou says with a scowl.

"For this weekend though, it's just water under the bridge," he answers calmly. "Besides, I come bearing gifts for all of you." Everyone in the Nerd Circle crowds around him as he pulls out a stack of purple bracelets. "I arranged you all some VIP treatment this weekend. These are VIP bracelets. I deserve a huge thank you because those strings were hard to pull," Izuku says humorously. Everyone, including Bakugou, gives him a hug. How could he feel bad when he has so many wonderful friends surrounding him? "Follow me."

He leads them to the VIP entrance and shows his badge. Everyone else follows with their bracelets.

"Deku, I swear you're a superhero!" Ashido yells over the music. "You go to school and maintain Honors status, work three jobs, and still keep up on your social life. Then to top it all off, you plan so far ahead that you get your friends VIP status. How do you do it?"

"One word, anxiety," Izuku offers with a chuckle. He shows them to their curtained VIP booth. "Each of you get two drink tickets which I stacked on the table in there. The only downside to your booth location is that you're under my DJ platform, but that shouldn't bother you too much. I'm going to step out before my set, but I'll drop in to see you before I get started. Have fun!"

The autumn breeze feels good on Izuku's hot cheeks when he steps outside. Camie gives him an encouraging smile and he returns it before laying on the table. It helps release the tension in his body. The problems of today can be future Izuku's problems. The club is supposed to be his safe space and he isn't about to let failed relationships destroy that for him.

Someone is shaking his shoulder and there is a jacket on his torso. Opening his eyes, he sees Camie peering down at him. "It's time for you to go on, well almost. You have fifteen minutes," she says as a shiver runs down her body.

"Thank you," he says, sitting up and wrapping her jacket around her shoulders, "for everything."

"Anytime, Deku. I consider you a friend so anytime."

"We are friends, Camie." Izuku stretches and ruffles his hair.

He picks up his hat and mask, putting them on, before peeking in on his friends in the booth. On the platform, Deku wakes his laptop up and sets up the timer for the videography.

"Are you ready for this?" Earphone Jack asks when he gets on her level.

The safety harness is secured on his waist before he says, "exactly like we practiced."

"Fuyumi, thirty seconds," Jirou says into the walkie as Deku climbs onto the railing of the platform. He takes the microphone from her as the music fades out and the lights go dark. A hush falls over the crowd. "Club goers and party people alike, it is now 10pm," Jirou announces.

As the music winds up, a spotlight shines on Deku who takes off his hat and drops it over the ledge, it is followed by his mask. "Ladies and gents, this is the moment you've waited for," Deku sings into the microphone. "Been searching in the dark, your sweat soaking through the floor. And buried in your bones there's an ache that you can't ignore. Taking your breath, stealing your mind. And all that was real is left behind."

He springs into the air and does a double front flip before his feet land on the unforgiving metal below him. Deku spreads his arms in triumph to cheers and screams. EJ picks up mixing 'The Greatest Show' into the first song on the setlist while he unbuckles the harness and collects his accessories. The big screens show 'DJ Earphone Jack' along with her video feed.

Every three minutes, the DJs trade off between mixing and hyping up the crowd that is literally wall to wall. Sweat and alcohol permeate the air as the night continues on into the wee hours of Saturday morning.

Once Fire and Ice is empty and both DJs have cleaned up and locked up their equipment, they leave together in search of their friends. The group is found a block away and all they can see is Bakugou nose to nose with Todoroki as everyone else surrounds them.

"Oh shit, what do we do, Deku?" Jirou asks as they approach.

"You're a piece of trash, Half 'n Half," Bakugou says lowly as Izuku reaches them.

"What I do is none of your concern, Jackass," Todoroki says quietly.

"That's enough of the dick measuring, boys. Everyone knows Kacchan's wins," Izuku interjects as he slips between them and braces his hand against Katsuki's chest. When he pushes, Bakugou steps back. "Mind over matter, I don't mind, and he doesn't matter." Several tense seconds tick by before Shouto and Inasa wordlessly walk away.

"Is mine really bigger?" Katsuki asks seriously.

"Geez Kacchan," he answers, walking away in the direction of the house.

Saturday ends up exactly like Friday with the exceptions of finding out that Shouto is a cheating bastard and the front flips are replaced with back flips.

Sunday Friend Funday is cancelled after a group vote is taken and everyone agrees that they want to rest up after partying so hard. Izuku can't bring himself to sleep in the basement so he takes over Living Room Two. He unhooks the sectional couch and pushes the two pieces together into a rectangle with the ottoman at the end, so he can climb in and out of his nest. It consists of every extra blanket and pillow in the house. No one fights with him about it and he can't help but wonder if Bakugou has a hand in that.

Izuku manages to get through midterm testing and work each week. With threats from Kacchan, he eats at least once a day and with puppy dog eyes, Kirishima persuades him to go to the gym which in turn forces him to take a shower.

"I'll be here when you get back, I promise," Izuku wheezes out as Ochako hugs him much tighter than she should be able to. She and Iida and Tsu leave to the train station together. Inasa collects Todoroki very soon after that and Izuku crawls back into his nest. Inko is going to visit extended family and Izuku had been invited to go along, but he refused under the guise of needing to work. The truth is that he is off of work for the week.

A knock on the front door announces that Kirishima has arrived to take Bakugou who stomps down the stairs loudly. Soon enough, Izuku will be alone and then he can wallow in his self-pity freely.

Bounding footsteps on the hardwood floor are the only alert Izuku gets before his entire makeshift bed shakes. Once he opens his eyes and look around, he sees Eijirou laying on his right side and Kacchan on his left side.

"You didn't truly believe everyone would leave you alone to self-destruct did you, 'Zuku?" Katsuki asks, draping his arm over the middle man's waist.

"You do know how much we care about you, right?" Eijirou asks, draping his leg over Izuku's hips.

"N-no, th-that's not it," the greenette replies nervously.

"Good, because you have us all week," Kacchan says, pulling Izuku closer to him before smirking.

"And we are going to have so much fun together," Kirishima adds, pushing himself against Izuku's back and giving him a mischievous grin.

Izuku moans breathily before whining in the back of his throat and burying his head under the nearest blanket.


	20. The Week of the Trio

(A/N: This is where this story becomes rated MA. You have been warned. Read at your own risk."

"You don't have to stay with me. It's the holidays. Won't your family miss you, Kirishima?" Izuku asks from his place in the trio sandwich.

"They are going on vacation, so they are more than happy to be rid of me," he answers with a smile.

"Thanks for your concern about me, Nerd," Bakugou scoffs.

"Kacchan, we both know auntie couldn't wait to get rid of you," he replies teasingly. Bakugou grumbles something under his breath.

"You're stuck with us, Midoriya," Kirishima says, ruffling fluffy green curls.

Confusion knits Izuku's eyebrows together while jealousy twists his stomach in knots. Dread tastes a lot like bile in the back of his throat and despite being crushed between two very attractive men, his heart aches with loneliness. A happy couple is pitying him. A happy couple made up of two of his former boyfriends. Rather than positive feelings of support bleeding into his being from the arms and legs wrapped around him, his blood runs cold he breaks into a sweat. Not good.

"Let go of me, I'm going to be sick," Izuku says quickly. Arms and legs retract without question, allowing him to vault over the couch and rush down the stairs to his bathroom in the basement. What little bit of stomach contents he does have, make a rapid evacuation from his body.

Once he is sure it is over, he cleans up and brushes his teeth. Though his thoughts race and occasionally vie for his attention, he pushes them all down to deal with later. That's how he has been dealing with his problems. Later.

Back in his nest, Eijirou and Katsuki are talking quietly. They both stop to look at him when he approaches. "Are you okay?" Kirishima asks with concern. Izuku nods as he climbs back into his bed, curling up in a corner and pulling a blanket over his body.

"Stress?" Kacchan asks. Izuku nods again. "Have you been dealing with your shit properly? I made sure the depression couch wasn't an issue in the house, but it is lasting longer than when Shitty Hair broke up with you. It's exhausting," he huffs out exasperatedly.

Bakugou's annoyance stirs up guilt that burns in the form of unshed tears in his eyes. It progresses to anger within a few seconds because no one is telling Katsuki he has to try and help. Before Izuku can snap though, his phone begins to ring from somewhere in the mess of blankets. He finds it as the ringtone starts a second loop. "Mina?" He answers.

"Hey, Green Bean. How are you doing?" She asks cheerfully.

"I'm doing okay. What about you?"

"I hate to be a bother but Tooru just called to remind me that you have an undercut maintenance appointment in an hour. If you aren't feeling up for it though, I can call her back and cancel it for you." She sounds unsure as she speaks.

Izuku looks at his nests' occupants for a moment. "No, you know what, I need some time in the chair. Tooru can work wonders so it might help in the grand scheme of things."

"I'm happy to hear that. Tell her all the things you need to tell her." Mina bids him goodbye and hangs up.

"What kind of chair?" Kirishima asks, raising his eyebrows.

"Is it a Chinese Chair?" Katsuki asks, the barest hint of a smirk on his lips.

"It is a salon chair," Izuku answers as he shakes his head. "I'm looking a little rough." He gestures to his hair. "Mina called to remind me that I have a salon appointment in an hour."

"Great. We're coming with you," Katsuki says as he stands up and stretches. Kirishima mirrors him.

"That isn't necessary. It's boring and smells like shampoo."

"That may be true, but we are going to have lunch together afterwards. We want to talk about something with you and no, it's nothing bad," he replies as a look of alarm crosses Izuku's face.

"Suit yourself then."

The lobby of Be Visible salon is warm and welcoming from the biting November cold. "My, oh my, I expected one hot DJ to walk in here. I did not expect him to bring his two gorgeous friends along. Who are your sexy friends, Mr. DJ?" Hagakure nods toward his followers.

"Kirishima Eijirou," he points to the redhead. "Bakugou Katsuki." Kacchan nods and Kirishima gives a small wave.

"Lucky you," she says as she gives them a flirty smile. "Mina called and said it is a chair visit. Let's not waste time." Izuku follows her to the sink and sits down, leaning back with the chair. "Tell me Deku, what worries you so much?" She ties the plastic cape around his neck, but he knows that isn't the reason his throat feels tight. "Judgment free zone, my friend. No one needs to know what is said and your friends can't hear you all the way back here." She says it in a way that sounds enticing and persuasive.

"Are you offering me therapy?" He asks quietly.

"That's the point of a chair visit."

As the warm water flows through his hair, Izuku lets his tears flow with it. He tells her everything he has been pushing aside for the last few weeks. He explains about Shouto's deception, about his failed relationships, his insecurities, his uncertainties, his vulnerabilities, and his anxiety and depression. He explains who Bakugou and Kirishima are to him. He talks about Katsuki's upsetting comment from earlier in the day along with his frustrations. The entire time, Tooru nods along as she washes and conditions his hair, twice. He blows his nose and finishes up his tale as she blow-dries his hair. She leads him to the styling chair that is separated from the other by curtains and gets to work.

"Do you want some input from me or was getting it off your chest enough?"

"I'll take some input please," he answers politely.

"You should worry about yourself and your well-being before anyone else's, you are selfless to a fault. Also, you worry too much about labels. The guy who cheated with you, yes, I said with and not on because you were the other guy, should not be labeled a mistake. He is a lesson. The other two men in my lobby were lessons, just more polite lessons. You are so concerned about significant others. If you are that lonely why not try something casual or something without titles attached? That's what Mina does and look how happy she is by herself," Tooru reasons to him over the buzz of the clippers in her hand.

"Yeah, I've seen her happiness," he trails off as the mental image of Mina and three Beta frat guys surface. Izuku considers her words though. "I have no idea what I'm doing with my life."

"No one does," she says with a laugh. "Once you learn that then life becomes much easier to grapple with, I swear."

After exiting Be Visible, Izuku's heart feels measurably lighter even if it is for a little while. It still gives him hope. The trio settle for a little diner known for its array of culturally diverse cuisine and for once Izuku feels hungry.

Bakugou chooses a table in the back corner away from everyone and they order their drinks. "Eijirou and I have been talking about some things lately that we want to share with you," Katsuki starts off quietly.

"Midoriya, understand that we don't need an answer right away. You have plenty of time to think about it," Kirishima adds quickly. "We can even do a test run if you want."

"You can also ask all the questions you want, none of them will be considered stupid, go it?" Katsuki asks.

Izuku nods, unsure of what is actually happening at the moment. "I-I'm listening."

"Eijirou and I would like to bring you into our relationship," Kacchan says slowly as he watches Izuku for any reaction to his words.

Izuku mouths the words 'bring into relationship' to himself, tasting them on his tongue. "Like a third boyfriend?" He asks for clarification. The other two nod. "Why?"

Kirishima looks to Katsuki who answers, "we, uh, well you see…" He breathes in deeply and lets out the air slowly. "I still have strong feelings for you."

"I told you that my feelings for you were no longer romantic which was a lie. My feelings for Katsuki got the better of me. I still have strong feelings for you too," Kirishima admits.

Izuku eyes them both critically for a long moment. The waiter returns with their drinks and they all order their food before Izuku speaks on the matter again. "So, I am the lesser third option that you both want." The look of discomfort on Eijirou's face almost makes him laugh humorlessly.

"No," Katsuki says calmly. "We have fought with each other over this and we've almost broken up several times because of it too. We like you, and each other, equally. You would be in this relationship as an equal."

"This is a weird conversation. Was it this weird when you both had this talk?" Izuku asks, his stomach churning.

"Actually, it relieved a lot of tension and just helped everything make more sense," Kirishima adds in.

"Why now? I just got out of a shit relationship and I'm sunk further into depression than the titanic in the Atlantic. Why now?"

"I'll admit the timing is fucked up, but we kept trying to find a right time and it never came. You stay on the couch and stay miserable and we kept waiting for it to pass but at the same time we both kept saying, 'what if he hops right into a relationship and we miss the time?' That is why you can have all the time you need to think and decide," Bakugou answers.

"You are both very open and honest with each other," Izuku says observantly.

"That is the key to a healthy relationship. We would expect the same of you," Katsuki says, gazing at him evenly.

Izuku sighs and says, "I'll genuinely think about it and if I have any more questions, I'll ask." It effectively ends the conversation and makes the couple visibly relax.

They eat their food with small conversations peppered in here and there. The walk back is Izuku leading the group down the sidewalk, black scarf wrapped around him tightly for protection against the wind. He lets his mind wander, relatively sure that he has no more tears to cry over his situation.

Todoroki being a cheater is in no way Izuku's fault. It isn't that he wasn't enough, it's that Shouto pitied his terrible track record with relationships. Not a very good reason at all. That Inasa guy is stupid for staying with Shouto, but it isn't Izuku's relationship, so it isn't his problem really. What lesson could this be? Don't trust your best friends? That isn't right, he can trust his other best friends.

"Right, Nerd," Bakugou calls out.

Izuku turns right and continues to think. How about 'looks can be deceiving'? The relationship looked like a good thing but turned out bad. Proceeding with caution wouldn't be a terrible idea from now on. Maybe Tooru's casual idea has some purpose to it. Leave it to Kacchan to complicate things further.

"Right, Izuku," Kirishima calls out to him. He follows the directions.

Naturally he has some resonating feelings towards his exes but is that enough to try with them again? And not just one of them, but with both of them? Would they go for the casual option with him or at least the no labels option? He would put that on the list of questions to ask the two men later.

"Right again," Katsuki says from behind him.

Right? Again? That is three right. Izuku pulls himself out of his thoughts and looks around. "Where are we?"

"You walked past the house and wouldn't respond to us except for directions so we walked around the block," Bakugou answers with a shrug. "Let's go, it's freezing out here." Kacchan's consideration fills Izuku full of appreciation.

The late hours of the night has Katsuki sleeping soundly on the left side of Izuku's nest. Izuku is sitting between Kirishima's legs, back resting against his chest as he shows the redhead how he works on choosing music to mix and how to mix it.

"You really love doing this, don't you?" Eijirou asks, resting his chin on Izuku's shoulder.

"Yes, I do. If I'm honest though I still love drawing and painting more. I keep that more private than my music because I want my art to be untainted by other's opinions, if that makes sense at all," Izuku admits. Leaning back, he realizes Eijirou is close enough to kiss him and something pulls deep in him to do it, but he resists.

"It makes perfect sense," Kirishima confirms, giving him a small smile.

"I have a question about this relationship thing." He looks to the redhead who nods for him to continue. "Could we do it without the label? Almost like keeping it casual, but I would still be solely invested in only the three of us? It would help ease off some of the pressure I feel," he admits quietly.

"I'm okay with that. We will have to check with Katsuki when he wakes up," Eijirou whispers back.

"Katsuki is awake and agrees with the nerd's conditions," the lump of blankets says from beside them. "Is that a yes or do you need more time, 'Zuku?"

"It's a yes." Everything is silent for a moment before Kirishima shuts Izuku's laptop and quickly puts it on the table behind him before wrapping his strong arms around the greenette and squeezing tightly.

"Really, really Izu?" Eijirou asks excitedly.

"Really, really," he confirms. Kirishima's soft lips catch his in a happy kiss that takes Izuku's breath away.

Bakugou rises up out of his pile of blankets like Godzilla from the water and climbs onto both of their laps. "Thank fuck," he says, kissing Izuku to the point the smaller man is whining into his mouth. He moves to Kirishima next, resting their foreheads together after they break apart.

Izuku tilts his head back to look at both of his casual, no label partners. They both look back at him as he flashes his 1,000 watt smile at them. "You both make me happy."

"It's like looking into the sun," Eijirou whispers to Katsuki who nods in agreement.

"Do you ever rest?" Katsuki huffs up at Izuku who is clicking away on his laptop.

"Not right now."

"What is so important?" He sits up and squints at the computer screen.

"Kacchan, do you need glasses? You squint at stuff a lot."

"No, I don't need glasses. I just woke up," he grumbles.

"Too bad, you'd look even more sexy with glasses." Izu giggles inwardly as Katsuki's face tinges pink. "Next semester is my last before I graduate with my BA. I need to think about classes for next semester, plan for my cap and gown, and apply to graduate school. That's what I planned on doing this week." Izuku clicks through a few of his open tabs as he takes notes and screenshots.

"You stress out too much," Katsuki says, closing the laptop and tossing it to the end of the couch. "Come here." He pulls Izuku into a kiss which is returned with enthusiasm. "Calm down, there is more where that came from. Do you want some breakfast?"

"Can I help?"

"Whatever you want to do, knock yourself out."

Izuku does not help with breakfast after dropping and breaking three eggs so Katsuki sends him to shower. Once that is completed, he is sent to wake up Kirishima as the bacon finishes cooking.

"Wake up," Izu whispers as he strokes a finger down the redhead's nose lightly. Kirishima crinkles his nose and crosses his eyes as he watches Izuku's finger. "Breakfast is ready."

"Mmm, yes, it is," Eijirou says with a sleepy smile before kissing him, his tongue slipping in and exploring softly. He pulls away and says, "it tastes so good."

"Ei, you are so cheesy. It's cute and all but you know Kacchan is going to be in here soon and it won't be a nice visit." They potter their way into the kitchen, Eijirou giving Katsuki a kiss before sitting at the island with Izuku. "Smells amazing, Babe."

"Damn right it does because I made it," Bakugou replies as he sits the food on the island.

Monday afternoon is spent with Katsuki and Eijirou having time together in Katsuki's room while Izuku cleans his bedroom and the basement. He folds all of the blankets in the nest and stacks them neatly in a corner followed by the pillows. He doesn't have motivation to do any art or music, so he calls Toshinori to see if he would like to meet up for dinner.

"It is good to see you, Young Midoriya. How are you feeling?" Toshi asks as they sit at the table of a little restaurant near One for All.

Izuku fills his mentor in on everything he has been up to and he feels a little more relief. "How about you? How are you doing?"

"I'm really glad you called me to meet up actually. I have been meaning to talk with you."

Why him and why now? "Is everything okay?" Izuku asks nervously.

"Everything is fine. I just want to pitch an idea to you. I know you are still unsure of what you want to do with your life, but I'd like to give you another option to put on the pile. One day in the far future when I retire, I'd like for you to take over Quirffee and One for All." Toshinori pauses at Izuku's wide eye reaction, giving him a chance to interject. When he doesn't, he pushes on. "You have plenty of time to enjoy yourself and live your life how you want to, I'm not that old," he says with a chuckle.

"Are you sure you want to leave your legacy to me? Why me?" Izuku asks.

"I have no kids of my own, but you are like a son to me. I'm sorry if that is too forward or make you uncomfortable, it's just how I feel."

Izuku gives him a sad smile, "I understand what you mean. You are like a father to me, I was just feeling worried and maybe a little guilty that I was replacing my own father."

"I could never replace your father," Toshinori says reassuringly, "I can however, guide you and love you as a father would."

Tears well up and spill out of Izuku's eyes at those words. "I want that very much."

Sitting beside the younger man, Toshi wraps him in a hug. "It's already your's, Izuku." When the tears stop falling, he adds, "I don't need an answer right away to my question. I just ask that it is put into your hand of option cards."

"I will very seriously consider your offer," Izuku reassures him.

"Thank you."

Dinner passes by with happy chatter between the two of them. They part with promises to meet up for the holiday. On the trudge home, Izuku pulls out his phone to find miss calls from his two boyfriends-who-aren't-boyfriends. They can wait.

"He's home!" Kirishima yells as Izuku hangs his coat up and slips his shoes off at the front door.

"Where have you been? You missed dinner." Katsuki is seething in the kitchen doorway.

"I was out with my other dad. He bought me dinner." Izuku flashes a smug smile at Kacchan before descending into the basement.

2am on Wednesday morning finds Izuku singing and dancing around the kitchen as he makes french fries. The upbeat music flows softly through his Bluetooth speaker beside the sink. The slotted spoon in his hand serves as his microphone while he waits for the sliced potatoes to finish cooking. He slides across the island on his butt before flopping the landing and sprawling to his back on the floor. Getting up, he looks around to make sure no one caught his embarrassing mishap.

"Don't worry, Izu. I won't tell anyone," Kirishima says with a light laugh from behind him.

"Ei! You scared me, you ninja. How long have you been there?" Izuku face turns bright red as he speaks.

"Long enough to catch a couple of songs of your concert."

Even the tips of Izu's ears turn red as he dips out fries from the hot oil. "Would you like some?" He gestures to the mountain of golden potatoes on the plate.

"Do you really have to ask?"

"It's a lot of carbs, so yeah."

Kirishima pours a puddle of ketchup onto a small plate and sits at the table with him. "It's the start of the holidays, bring on the carbs."

In the blink of an eye, the plates are empty, and the two men are full. "Are you going to sleep tonight?"

"Probably, I've figured out how to lull myself to sleep, thank goodness," Izu replies as he cleans the dishes.

"Oh? How do you go about doing that?" Ei asks, cocking his head to the side.

"Solo sex. I've gotten really good at it lately," Izuku says shamelessly.

"You mean masturbation?" A nod. "Can I watch?"

The air in Izuku's lungs freezes up and so does he. "Watch? You want to watch?"

"Only if it's okay with you. If not, that's okay too."

"You can watch, I'm okay with that," he answers.

"Okay, I'll be right back." Kirishima disappears up the stairs like lightning and returns just as fast. "I had to get my phone in case I fall asleep with you."

"If it were Kacchan asking to watch, I'd probably be more hesitant. He would tell me I was doing it all wrong," Izu says with amusement as he leads the way to the nest. Bakugou had complained of the couch hurting his back so he moved back to his bed. Eijirou just ends up where he pleases. "He would tell me his techniques are better."

Kirishima shrugs, "he means well."

The redhead settles into a corner as Izuku produces a bottle of lube from under his pillow. His nerves shift into high gear so to relieve the tension he asks, "would you believe me if I said that Mina is the one who taught me about masturbation?"

"No way!? Why did Mina teach you about it?" Kirishima watches as he slowly peels his shorts off.

Izuku's cheeks heat up under Eijirou's gaze, his boxers straining with the effort to keep his hard on in check. "I saw her getting gangbanged on my couch in the basement."

"Seriously? That must have been weird."

"Very weird." Izuku takes a deep, calming breath before removing his boxers too. His thick cock springs free from the waistband and stands at attention, heavy between his legs. Eijirou licks his lips, an action not missed by the greenette who settles into a reclining position against a pillow.

Pouring lube over his hand, he checks back to the redhead who has a lustful hunger in his eyes. Though sexy isn't something he exudes, Izuku decides to put on a show for his very close friend.

He can barely fit his fingers around his girth and lets out a harsh sigh at the contact. Biting his lip, he slides his hand to the base and squeezes before trailing up to the head, causing him to moan. The sound startles him a little but the lewdness of it draws another out of him.

Closing his eyes, he imagines its Kirishima's hand working his cock. It urges him to pick up the pace. The image of Eijirou gazing at him hungrily has him throwing his head back and letting out a breathy, "oh fuck, Ei."

"Izuku, can I touch myself too?" Kirishima asks with a whimper.

"Please," is his answer. Opening his eyes, he watches Eijirou slick up his own cock, working it slowly. It's smaller than Izuku's, about average size and leaking steadily. For a moment, he wonders how it would taste to have that cock under his tongue and it causes his own to twitch hard. "So beautiful, Ei. You're so beautiful."

"You too, Izu. And so big." A whine works itself from the redhead's throat as he goes faster, his hand almost a blur.

"S-so close, damn it, I'm so close," Izuku groans as the heat in his gut releases to the rest of his body and his abdomen clenches.

"Cum for me, 'Zuku," a low, guttural voice growls into his ear. Gasping, he turns toward the source of the sound and meets a crimson gaze before Katsuki devours him in a hungry kiss.

"Kacchan," Izuku moans into the blonde's mouth as he reaches his peak. He coats his hand in pearly seed.

"Oh shit," Kirishima gasps out as he climaxes, watching the other two kiss passionately.

"Fuck, you are both so sexy. How did I get so lucky?" Katsuki asks, eyes glazed over.

Izuku shrugs before pulling his shirt off and using it to clean himself and then Kirishima.

"Thanks man, you didn't have to do that," Eijirou says sheepishly.

"I'm your partner, I want to help," he replies simply.

Katsuki spends the entire morning in the kitchen, making the food for their Thanksgiving dinner. Kirishima and Izu both clean up the house, music a little too loud for the occasion but no one complains. At least not until Eijirou challenges Izuku to a duel while wielding a broom. Izu accepts the challenge as he picks up the mop. Only then does Bakugou step in to divert that brewing disaster.

Spending time with his new partners has Izuku forgetting about Todoroki and when he does remember, he can't bring himself to be sad or angry. How can he be when he is laughing so much? It's when he lays on the dining room table that he realizes the lesson he is meant to learn. Just because one aspect of your life has gone sour doesn't mean every aspect has and by focusing on the one bad part, everything else seems bad too.

"Hey Kacchan, change of plans. I'm dinner," Izuku says with a giggle.

"I'll save you for dessert, Nerd."

"Don't say it if you don't mean it," he shoots back seriously.

"Whoa Midoriya, feeling frisky?" Eijirou asks teasingly as he sits the dishes on the table.

"Do you want to find out?" Izuku answers with a smirk.

"Do you really have to ask?"

"Go easy on him Ei, he's inexperienced," Katsuki says with amusement. It makes the shorter man slide off of the table and send him a pouty look.

"How inexperienced?" Kirishima asks him.

"The nerd is a virgin," the blonde answers for Izuku. Eijirou looks surprised and starts whispering to his boyfriend.

"So much for transparency in this relationship," Izuku huffs quietly to himself as he sits the plates out. A knock interrupts his thoughts and he skips over to the door. "Hi Toshi, welcome," he says with a big smile.

"Thank you and your friends for having me, Young Midoriya," he replies as Izuku takes his coat. Toshinori is led into the dining room and shown to his seat.

"Hi Mr. Yagi, I'm not sure if you remember me, but I'm Kirishima Eijirou," the redhead says happily while sitting food on the table.

"Yeah," Toshinori replies with a glint in his eye, "I remember you, Ass Brigade." Katsuki drops the plastic spoon in his hand as he snorts and laughs bodily. "That can only mean you're Kacchan."

"Yes sir, that's me," Bakugou answers, sobering up and retrieving the fallen utensil.

If either Kacchan or Ass Brigade see the high five between Toshinori and Izuku, they don't comment on it.

Dinner is a humorous affair as Toshi repeatedly roasts the couple across from him. Izuku watches them squirm and he can't help but entertain the idea that this is the equivalent of bringing a significant other home to meet the parents. Toshi never talks about family and Izuku just can't let him spend this holiday, or any other holiday after this, alone.

After dessert, Toshinori excuses himself out, saying he is meeting up with Gran Torino. Izuku picks up the duties of cleaning the kitchen as Kirishima and Bakugou go upstairs. 'Go figure,' he thinks to himself as he listens to their retreating footsteps. 'What does it matter if I haven't had sex? It's not like I don't know how it works.' He goes plus ultra in everything he does which includes his research. It doesn't take much to reason that he isn't really in the relationship so naturally he will be excluded from the sensual activities. Something about that makes him feel sad, but he doesn't complain because he chose this.

The kitchen is clean and Izuku takes a hot shower to relax his body. At some point he finds himself staring at his fingers. Yep, he is going to try it. Sliding one in feels weird, it isn't terribly uncomfortable, just foreign. In, out, in, out. Before too long it isn't so strange, so he takes a deep breath and relaxes his muscles. This is no easy feature as a second finger joins the first. The pain is there, but he can handle it. His research says it will feel better once he gets accustomed to the stretch. Beauty is pain and so is anal fingering. Both will make you feel amazing in the end.

Third finger inserted and Izu feels tears at the corner of his eyes. It burns and stings, so he pauses his advances until it dulls out. Proceeding carefully, he slowly works his fingers in himself experimentally, twisting and flexing. The water turns cool and he decides he should probably continue in his bedroom.

Locking the door, he sheds his towel onto his bed before climbing on to it with his ass in the air. He resumes his previous explorations and gasps as it kickstarts the now familiar heat in his belly. The fingers in his ass work faster, bringing him wave after wave of pleasure.

"Damn it, reach deeper," Izuku whines to himself as he chases his climax. Looking around, he spots what he needs and grabs his spare bottle of lube. The handle of his hairbrush easily slips in and causes him to shiver. The textured grip on the handle sliding across the rim of his hole has him keening with pleasure. Tears track down his cheeks as he sobs into his pillow, thighs quivering while his dick hardens even further. It's an angry red and leaking precum onto his discarded towel.

A knocking on his door pulls him from his personal heaven. "Izuku? Are you okay?" Eijirou asks, worry tinging his words.

"I'm fine," he chokes out in the direction of the door.

"You don't sound fine," Kacchan's voice rings out next. "Let us in."

"I'll be out in a few minutes," he answers again.

"Nerd, that wasn't a request!" Kacchan yells with annoyance.

Izuku raises up to yell back but the brush handle pushes into something in him that has him seeing stars. He drops his head back down as his cock spurts his release onto the towel below him. The scream of pleasure is buried in his pillow.

Someone jiggles the doorknob. The towel and brush are thrown into the hamper before he flops onto his back, chest heaving with his labored breaths. The door bursts open, spilling Kirishima and Bakugou into his room.

"What the hell?" Katsuki asks, taking in Izuku's blissed out face and naked body.

"I have needs," he answers shortly, arching his back to stretch as strength returns to his jellied limbs.

"That's what we came to talk about," Katsuki supplies unhelpfully.

Sitting up, Izuku says, "I'm all ears."

"We are kind of hung up on the virginity thing," Kirishima admits. "It's kind of an important thing."

"To you maybe, but not to me. I respect you both though. If it bothers you that much then I'll go find my sex somewhere else," he reasons with a shrug.

"Just like that?" Bakugou asks, looking almost hurt.

'No, not really, but my fucks to give are at an all-time low,' Izuku thinks to himself. Instead he says, "I'm the low man on the totem pole, the third guy, the newbie. I'm also in this casually. It isn't fair though that both of you can have sex in this relationship and I get just the emotional part. My fingers can only do so much up in there. As I said before, I have needs." 'A lot more now than before.'

Unexpectedly, both men look like kicked puppies.

"No matter how much you say you like me, you'll always like each other more," Izuku says simply. His brain is screaming to abort mission but that wouldn't be transparency.

"That isn't true," Katsuki maintains, frustration evident in his tone.

"Not even close to the truth," Eijirou agrees.

"It's okay," Izuku responds with a sad smile. He climbs under his comforter. "I'm really tired, that hairbrush took it out of me. I'm going to get some sleep." Clicking the lamp off, he rolls over to face the wall before he realizes what he has said. The expected laugh or taunting comment never comes. The door closes, and he drifts off to sleep.

Izu awakens to a warm body slipping into his bed behind him. An arm drapes over his waist and a soft kiss is pressed to the back of his neck. "Mmm," he hums in contentment.

"Does that mean you're awake, Nerd?" Katsuki's voice is soft and husky.

"Yes, I'm awake Kacchan. Is there something you need?" Izuku looks over his shoulder to the other man.

"I need you. All of you," he replies.

"You have me, you've had me all week."

"After our conversation earlier, I told Ei that I can't handle the idea of you going out to fuck other people. Beyond that, I told you that you're equal in this relationship and I mean it. Do you trust me?"

"I always have, Kacchan," he whispers.

Katsuki slides his hand down to Izu's hip. "Let me be your first."

Izuku turns his torso to look at his partner better. "Yes."

Lips connect with his in a searing kiss, calloused fingers stroking his half hard cock. "K-Kacchan," he gasps out, body jerking with pleasure. He settles onto his back, throwing the blanket off of them and watching the blonde's hand work him into a hard, dripping mess.

Katsuki maneuvers himself between Izuku's spread legs before leaning over to kiss him again. Kisses are trailed down Izu's neck and a purple mark is sucked into existence on his collarbone. "If I do something you don't like," Katsuki whispers after dipping his tongue into Izuku's navel, "tell me and I'll stop."

"O-okay, I will."

Bakugou breathes a humid breath on one hip before pressing a kiss to the tip of Izu's cock. He keeps his eyes locked with emerald ones as he licks the sticky precum from his lips. Flattening his tongue to the base, he licks a wet stripe up to the head, listening to the man below him release a shaking moan.

"So thick, 'Zuku," Katsuki murmurs. He wraps his lips around the head of Izuku's cock, swirling his tongue around it before sucking on it sharply.

"Aaah, K-Kach-aaah," he hisses.

One hand presses a hip to the mattress while the other one rubs teasingly at Izu's hole. "Lube?" Katsuki questions once he pulls off. It is in his palm in a matter of seconds. "Excited much?"

"Nervously excited," he supplies to the man between his legs.

"Don't worry, Bunny. I'm going to treat you just right," Katsuki declares, testing the nickname as he sinks a finger into his ass.

"Another," Izuku mewls to him. Kacchan raises a surprised eyebrow. "I just had three of them in there. I'm good."

With a nod, he eases three fingers into the delicious heat that is Izu's ass. The greenette pushes back impatiently on the digits in him which Bakugou takes as his cue to advance the assault of his fingers. Each thrust pulls various sighs and whimpers from the man above him. He twists and scissors and pets Izuku's walls to stretch him out.

"Kacchan, please," he whines impatiently.

"Please what?"

"I need you in me," he cries out in frustration. "I can finger myself anytime I want, you don't need to do it."

Katsuki pulls his fingers out and slicks himself up. Izu pulls his knees up, feeling self-conscious under his lover's intense gaze but the lust clouding his mind makes it easier to push the unease aside.

Laying himself over Izuku, Kacchan lines himself up and pushes in slowly, whispering, "I've got you, Bunny."

Izuku quakes under his lover as he is impaled on his cock. It stretches him in the best ways, lighting his nerves on fire then stoking them hotter when Katsuki bottoms out and pulls out again.

Wrapping his arms around the blonde's neck, Izu pulls him into a kiss that is soft and deep and full of unspoken emotions.

The thrusts are soft and slow, fingers tangle in green curls, nails dig into muscular shoulders, and kisses absorb every pleasured sound spilled between the two of them. Their bodies move in tangent, grinding together in a sensual dance. Each drive of Katsuki's hips pick up momentum and soon the only thing louder than their wanton moans is the sound of skin smacking skin.

"There! Oh Kacchan, right there!" Izuku begs as he feels him rub against that magical spot inside of him. Katsuki is unrelenting as he hits it again and again. "I'm going to cum," Izu practically wails as his body goes rigid.

"Cum for me, Bunny," Kacchan growls in his ear. Izuku's ass grips his dick like a vise as he gets off, his seed spilling sticky and hot between their bodies. One, two, three more pumps and Katsuki is pouring his own orgasm into his partner as he holds him close. "Kacchan, so good. So hot, Kacchan. Kacchan sugoi," he sobs into his shoulder, holding to him tightly.

Katsuki keeps Izu in his arms, rocking him as he comes down from his post-orgasmic high. Once his softened cock slips out, he kisses those soft green curls before rolling to the side. "Are you okay, Bunny?"

"I've never been better. I understand why both of you were so worried about having sex with me."

"Why is that?" Katsuki asks as he props himself up on one elbow to look at Izu.

"Because now I'm going to be insatiable," Izuku admits.

"That wasn't really the issue. I think we were worried about nothing after all," he says with his signature smirk. "Insatiable, you say?"

"Is that going to be a problem?" Izu asks, chewing on his lip anxiously.

"Not at all."

If they had sex again as they cleaned up in the shower, then that was their own business.

"Are you sure about this?" Kirishima asks on Sunday morning as he helps move the couch back to its original spot in Living Room Two.

"I'm sure. Todoroki is no longer a hinderance to me." Izuku puts his hands on his hips as he looks around the living room that is put back together again.

"No more depression couch," Eijirou concedes.

Izuku shakes his head and laughs. "This is now the sex couch." They share a look with each other as memories from the previous night flicker to life. Izuku on all fours in the middle of the nest, Katsuki plowing into him as he grabs handfuls of freckled ass. Eijirou's cock is nestled deep in Izu's throat as he sucks it, neglecting to tell the other two men about his lack of a gag reflex. Kirishima's face was priceless when Izuku took him to the hilt in one fell swoop.

The cherry on top was Izu looking up at him with wide, sweet eyes and his mouth full of cock. Even Katsuki stopped his advances to make sure he was okay. The middle man pulled off long enough to say, "tastes so good." He fingered Eijirou open and then tongue fucked him until the redhead was a blabbering mess, an accomplishment that Kacchan had yet to achieve.

Izuku claims he is great at oral because he is so determined to pleasure his partner. Katsuki says it is because he is a natural born slut.

Ei clears his throat, pulling them out of their reveries. "I like sex couch better."

Everyone arrives for game night and they talk about what they did over their breaks while Izuku goes out to meet Tokoyami and retrieve the pizza. "You'll have to come to game night sometime if you're ever off," he says as they part ways. A male approaches the house as Izuku is about to turn and go inside. "May I help you?"

"I'm here at Shouto's request."

"What's your name?"

"Yoarashi Inasa," he says in a boisterous voice.

Izuku over him for a long minute. "I don't hate you for what Todoroki did, you aren't at fault." Yoarashi looks uncomfortable at his comment. "I'm Midoriya Izuku, welcome to nerd night." They go in the house together and to the dining room. "Everyone meet Yoarashi Inasa," Izu announces. Looking pointedly at Todoroki, he says, "he is welcome at nerd night."

Picking up two plates of pizza from the kitchen, Izuku sits one beside Katsuki who says, "thank you, Bunny" before kissing him sweetly.

"You're welcome, Kacchan." He sits the other in front of Kirishima.

"Thanks, Izu," he says, pulling him down into a kiss that is happily reciprocated.

"Anytime, Ei." Izuku wears the biggest smile as he looks between his two partners. Its only when he takes up his seat between them and glances around that he notices everyone gaping at them except for Mina who looks like she has just won a trip to Disney World.

"What did you three do this week?" Ochako asks.

Katsuki snorts as he busies himself with a slice of pizza. Eijirou hides behind his hand of cards as he blushes. Izuku just shoots her a wink and a smirk.


	21. Professor Aizawa is Underrated

Work is nothing new to Izuku, not by a long shot. So, the lack of work he is experiencing is rather off putting. He had taken all of the difficult classes earlier on in his college career and had jammed his schedules full. All that is truly left for him to complete is his Capstone class.

That is how he finds himself outside of Professor Aizawa's office at 11am on a Monday morning. He is the head of the art department and has requested a meeting with Izuku.

The past few months have been nice to Izu. His two casual boyfriends treat him very well, his work at One for All picked back up after the start of the new year, and his final spring break had been spent laying on a beach as his group of friends splashed around in the cool water. In about three months' time, Izuku will be graduating with a bachelor's in fine arts degree. That has to be what this meeting is about.

When he knocks on the door, a bored 'come in' is thrown his way.

"Good morning, Mr. Aizawa," Izuku greets him as he shuts the door.

"Good morning, Midoriya. Please sit down so we can get straight to business," the sleepy teacher replies, gesturing to a chair in front of his desk. Izuku quickly occupies it, folding his hand in his lap. "I know that you graduate soon and as one of my most promising students, I have taken and interest in where you plan to go or what you plan to do once you have your degree."

"I, uh, have a lot of options," he says nervously. He explains about going the traditional artist route and how he has been saving up plenty of money just in case he chooses that and falls on rough times. He talks about being a DJ and how he already works as a tattoo artist. Toshinori's offer is brought up and Mr. Aizawa seems especially interested in it. Izuku finishes by saying that no matter what he chooses, he is set up for success.

"You do have a number of options and combinations you can select. Out of curiosity, do you plan on taking your mentor's offer?" Aizawa leans his head on his hand as he awaits an answer.

"I'm not entirely sure, if I'm being honest."

"What are your hesitations?"

Izuku looks at his hands as he fidgets with his fingers. "I worry that it will stop me from pursuing my paintings. Like it will take up too much of my time."

"From the sound of it though, he doesn't intend on giving you his legacy right away." Mr. Aizawa gazes at him steadily. "The trend hasn't picked up here yet, but there are tattoo shops in the bigger cities that double as art galleries to get artists out there to a crowd that appreciates artwork. If you do end up accepting the offer, that is always a possibility for you."

Izuku feels a spark of excitement in his chest. "I never even thought about it like that. I bet it is a really neat thing to see."

The professor nods before continuing, "in the meantime, what have you been doing to advertise your art?"

The question makes him feel uneasy. Deep down he knows he hasn't been doing enough. All he has done is focus on his jobs and graduating. He confesses these things to the man across from him.

"I see," Mr. Aizawa nods. "Starting today, I want you to create social media pages for your work, give yourself a name, and upload a portfolio. Make some business cards, but not just for your art. I would do it for your tattoo artist gig as well. Maybe consider doing it for your DJ hobby too. Money is money regardless of where it comes from. Spread the cards like wildfire. Give them to friends, family, and businesses that display them. Do you think you can manage that?"

Izuku nods. "That won't even cause me to break a sweat."

Aizawa eyes him over for a moment. "The next thing will. I've chosen you as one of the students for the AMU Summer Art Exhibition."

"How is that supposed to make me sweat? I'm very confident in my artwork, Professor Aizawa." Izu cocks his head to the side questioningly.

"That may be true, however, you can't do any nature pieces for this exhibition. I need you to paint me five pictures that do no involve nature as the subject. Can you do that?"

He isn't one to back down from a challenge and so he agrees to the terms.

The following Sunday finds Izuku laying face down on the floor of the basement living room. All week he has tried to come up with something for the exhibition and yet he has nothing.

"Hey Bunny, do you wanna play?" Kacchan asks as he sidles down the stairs with Ei close behind.

"I'm having an art crisis," he answers even though its muffled by the carpet.

"All the more reason," Kirishima says, crouching down beside him to tickle his side.

When Izuku rolls to his back, Katsuki scoops him up and carries him into the basement bedroom.

"Hnng, yes 'Zuku," Kirishima pants out as Izuku sinks even deeper into his ass. They dive into a kiss full of needy passion.

"Share," Katsuki growls as he pulls Izuku's hair, causing the greenette to sit up, backing arching as he does.

"Kacchan," he whines, rocking back onto Katsuki's dick in his ass, "there is plenty of me to share." He thrusts back into Eijirou and then back onto Katsuki, over and over steadily as the blonde devours him in a needy kiss. Izuku keens when Kirishima tweaks his nipples, his body shuddering violently at all of the pleasures he is receiving. "Fuck me Kacchan," he pleads.

Always one to please his lovers, Katsuki pushes him down and rails into him, holding the smaller man's shoulder for leverage.

"Mmm so good," Eijirou whimpers as Izuku is pushed into again and again. "Touch me."

Izuku grips his cock firmly, jerking him to Katsuki's rhythm. The room is full out the sounds of sex and smells like it too. All three of them are soaked in sweat as they perform their well-practiced dance.

This is how Todoroki finds them when he opens the door with his key and Yoarashi at his shoulder; Izuku is balls deep in Kirishima while Kacchan is balls deep in Izuku.

"You have to be kidding me," Shouto yells in shock.

"Either shut the door and walk away or stay and learn something," Katsuki grunts out, not slowing down even though the other two men have frozen up.

"Disgusting," Todoroki mutters, "I want a new roommate, maybe a new house."

"Bye bitch!" Kirishima calls out as the door is closed.

Eijirou and Izuku laugh until Katsuki rubs Izuku's prostate which causes him to moan. "Kacchan sugoi."

"What's bothering you?" Katsuki asks as he brushes a green curl behind Izu's ear.

Once they were all spent but cleaned up, Ei stretched out on one half of the bed and fell asleep so Izuku opted to lay on top of Kacchan, his head on the blonde's firm yet soft chest.

"It's the art for this upcoming exhibition. I'm not allowed to paint nature. I don't know what to do," he admits quietly.

"Paint what makes you happy or what makes you who you are, 'Zuku. You are so much more than you give yourself credit for, ya know?" Katsuki murmurs, gliding his fingers up and down his spine.

Izu watches Kirishima sleep, features relaxed and flawless as those rough calloused fingers brush across his soft skin. This makes him happy.

"Kacchan, you're a genius," he says excitedly, propping himself up to look at the blonde.

"Tch, no shit," he replies. "Just to clarify though, what caused you to realize this fact?"

"Give it up for Deku!" EJ announces. There are cheers and glowsticks everywhere as Deku gazes out over the club goers.

"Toshi?" Izuku pauses his work. "Are you crying?"

Toshinori sniffles, "hush and get back to work, you wonderful man."

"Ei, just take a nap," Izuku huffs at him.

"I can't, I'm not tired," the redhead whines from under the blankets.

"That is something I can fix," he replies as he stands up and unbuttons his pants.

"Still my guitar gently weeps," Izuku sings softly. He looks at himself in the mirror, his eyes drifting to the name imprinted on the acoustic guitar sitting on his lap. His guitar, his father's guitar.

"I forgot how good vanilla ice cream tastes," Izuku sobs quietly into Katsuki's side. The blue paint is slowly chipping away on the old bench, but it still stands sturdy.

"I may not have any dad wisdom for you, but I do know your old man is proud of who you have become," Katsuki says, patting Izuku's hair.

"You really think so?" He looks up to see a soft smile on the blonde's face and the daisy is still tucked behind his ear. A nod. "Me too."

"Midoriya Izuku," the college dean announces. Izuku walks forward carefully to accept his degree. "Graduating with Honors."

His friends and family cheer loudly and he makes his way back to his seat.

"Words from the grad! Words from the grad!" Everyone in the Midoriya party chants around the table.

Inko had reserved a room, well in advance, for the group to have dinner together.

"Alright, fine. I have a few announcements to make anyways," Izuku says, standing from his seat. Everyone quiets down to give him attention. "First and foremost, it is thanks to your love and support that I've made it this far, so thank you." There is light clapping. "Second, I want to invite all of you to the AMU Summer Art Exhibition. Thanks to my two main men," he pauses to wink at Katsuki and Eijirou, "I have five very nice paintings on display there and it opens to the public next weekend."

A tug on his shirt pulls his gaze away from the table and to his mother. "Did you say you have two boyfriends?" Inko whispers quickly.

"It's only casual," he responds.

She shrugs, "you're an adult."

Turning his attention back to the table, he continues, "and last but definitely not least, Toshinori." He has his mentor stand beside him. "You made me an offer a while ago. One that I promised to think about. The offer for you to leave me your shops, your very legacy, when you retire. I will happily accept your offer."

There are no words spoken between the two men as they hug each other tightly, there is no need for them.


	22. Izuku is an Exhibitionist

The Sunday following graduation, the nerd group plus Inko, Toshinori, and Tokoyami all file across the campus of AMU to the Arts Center. The weather is clear and breezy which carries the group's chatter across the grounds.

"I'm really proud of you, Izuku," Inko says as she squeezes his hand.

"Thanks Mom." He gives her a kiss on the cheek before jogging past everyone to open the door to the exhibition.

Before he gets the chance though, it eases open to reveal Mr. Aizawa. "You must be the most well-liked student on campus," he monotones, eyeing the crowd behind Izuku.

"I don't know about that," he replies humbly.

"I do know," his teacher answers as he gestures for everyone to come inside.

Izuku introduces Toshi and his mom to Mr. Aizawa before wandering off to look at the other pieces of art in the giant space. There are many types of media and themes amongst the art. Even Mirio has a series in the exhibition. It seems to be everyday objects that appear to have faces and each one is wearing a party hat. Izu can't help but think that maybe Mirio should stop partying so hard.

"Deku!" Ochako's voice pulls him out of his thoughts. "These are amazing."

The group congregates around her to look at the five paintings hanging on the wall.

The first one depicts the view that Deku has from his platform at Fire and Ice and is titled 'Being a Hero'. His mixer is painted, very detailed, at the bottom of the frame. The crowd of people are mostly blurry with a few faces in clearer focus than others. Those faces look like some of the regulars as well as Uraraka, Asui, and Iida. Colored lights cut through the dark areas on the canvas and glowsticks are peppered in throughout the entire painting.

The second work shows Deku's hand holding a tattoo gun with the title 'Permanent Family'. He is finishing up his apprentice-to-artist tattoo. It is simple and maybe a little cliché, but it suits them.

"Family doesn't end with blood," Inko says, reading the tattoo.

"No, it doesn't," Toshi says from beside her with a proud smile.

The third piece shows the top of Izuku's easel in the foreground and Kirishima is asleep in the background. It's called 'Capturing Peace'. On the easel, Izuku's brush is painting the sleeping redhead who is exposed from the shoulders up and one foot is out of the blanket. He looks younger and softer. Only he and Izuku know that Izu had to fuck him into the mattress to tire him out enough to make him look that way.

The fourth painting shows a mirror that features Izuku with an acoustic guitar on his lap. The name of the work is 'Gentle Weeps'. The name on the acoustic is bold and draws the most attention, 'Hisashi'.

Inko muffles a sob as she stares at the picture. "I know," Izu whispers, hugging her close. "The next one might be hard too."

The fifth and final piece is also the most important piece. It is titled 'Well Done, Boys' and shows Katsuki and Izuku sitting shoulder to shoulder on a blue bench. Both of them are eating vanilla ice cream cones. Izuku is looking up at Katsuki as he swings his feet back and forth, red sneakers vivid against everything around them.

Katsuki has a white daisy tucked behind his ear and he is gazing down at Izuku, a smile tugging the corners of his mouth up.

The thing that has half of the group in tears though is the translucent third figure behind them, with his hands on their shoulders and a very Izu-esque smile on his face as he looks down at them both. Midoriya Hisashi is smiling at them as they grow together.

Ochako is crying into Izuku's shoulder as Iida rubs her back and Inko has her face buried in Toshinori's chest. Katsuki stares at his feet hard as Eijirou squeezes his shoulders. Some of the bystanders even awkwardly pat their shoulders as they wander by.

"In all my years I have never seen such a display," a soft voice says from beside Izuku. He pulls away from Ochako to look at Mr. Aizawa. "You really are the most promising, just look at what you've done here." The professor gestures to the crowd and even at Mr. Yamada, his husband, who is sniffling. "Well done, Midoriya."


	23. That's On You

Being a grad student isn't at all what Izuku expected it to be. When you do as well as he has in his time at AMU, it turns out that you can get funding to better yourself and your studies. At the start of his first grad semester, Izuku finds himself standing in the middle of his studio apartment and surrounded by his few belongings.

AMU will be paying for his graduate housing, art supplies, and giving him a decent stipend so he doesn't have to work three jobs. That was a conversation with Toshinori that he couldn't really put off much longer.

Moving out of the house he had shared with his friends was a depressing affair. No sooner that he had his last box out the front door was Inasa moving in to take his place. It made him feel as if he was being replaced and unfriended. The same day that he put his boxes in his new residence, he went back to his hometown to his mom's house.

After sending texts to Kirishima and Bakugou explaining that he would be unreachable for a few days, Izuku packed up for three days of camping and went to the overlook, his safe place.

Those three days were spent sketching and playing his guitar while the nights were spent with him counting stars in the clearest night sky he had seen in a long time. Something about his time away helped him remember who he is and what he wants in his life.

Izuku hasn't turned on his phone yet and he tosses it to the side as he starts unpacking everything in the mismatch moving boxes. Books of all kinds litter the two bookcases at the end of his bed which has been tucked into a corner of the apartment. Many of his paintings are hung and those that aren't get tucked away into the coat closet by the door which is used to hold his limited wardrobe.

A small table and four chairs is placed next to his kitchenette and his few dishes are placed in a cabinet followed by his food. The small island counter that separates his "kitchen" and "living room" hosts his laptop and DJ equipment.

As for the rest of the empty apartment, Izuku puts down a thick drop cloth that he tapes down every so often around the entire perimeter. A set of cubicle shelves gets put against the wall under the window and holds all of his art supplies. Canvas and easel are set up beside it.

By the time he is done the sun is setting and his stomach lets out a loud growl. He is going through his food options when there is a knock on his door.

"Hey Dad," he says with a relieved smile when he opens the door and finds Toshinori standing there. "Would you like to come in?"

"Thank you Izuku, m'boy." Toshi looks around the abode before nodding his approval. "It looks like artistic organized chaos."

Izuku laughs and replies, "you got exactly what I'm going for here. What brings you to my part of town?"

"Ah, your mom said you weren't answering your phone and she was frantic when she called me."

"Damn, I forgot to let her know I made it back. I've been avoiding my phone honestly," Izuku admits as he picks up the device from his dining table.

"Would you like to come with me to dinner and we can talk about it?" Toshinori asks softly.

"Yes, definitely."

"You should have seen all the stars! I swear I could almost touch them," Izuku explains excitedly as he takes another bite of his sandwich.

"Is there anything else you want to tell me about?" Toshi hedges gently.

"Mmm yeah, I was putting it off a little bit but uh, I think my availability at Quirffee, and One for All may need to go down to "as needed". I've really got to work on my grad stuff more. It kills me to do it, but it's necessary. I hope you understand," he trails off, staring at his half empty plate.

"You know I do, Izuku. I've been waiting for you to tell me that. You may come and go as you please at our shops. Yes, I said 'ours' because they will be your businesses one day. Now that you got that off of your chest, how about you tell me why you're ignoring that cell phone in your pocket." Toshi sets him with a steady gaze and very slight smile.

Pulling the device from his jeans, it feels like a brick. "I put my friends and boyfriends on hold with no explanation other than 'I'll be unreachable for a few days' and I don't want to deal with the flood of messages and missed calls."

"It just shows they care about you," Toshi tries to reason, but Izuku shakes his head.

"They replaced me before I even moved out. That actually hurt a lot. Soon enough I won't matter to them and I'll be left alone all over again." He doesn't mean for the tears to spill from his eyes, but they do, and he doesn't bother trying to stop the flow.

"Do you want that?" Izuku shakes his head. "They are trying to keep you and you're pushing them away. It appears the only person who thinks they won't matter is you. Ignore everything they've sent and send a group message that you're back and you're okay. Include your mother too please. Put everyone's heart at ease like you did for me. Then deal with all of it another day."

He powers the phone on and lets all of the notifications flood in before doing as he is advised.

**[To All Contacts]:** I'm safe and on my way back home. Have a goodnight.

"All done," he says with a smile that Toshinori returns warmly.

"Can you make it home safely in one piece?"

"I can do that. Thanks for dinner Dad. And the advice. I feel so much better."

"Any time, M'boy."

Twenty minutes and three flights of stairs later, Izuku finds himself outside of his apartment's front door. He wasn't lying when he told Toshi that he felt better but doubt was still nagging at him in the back of his mind.

Door safely closed and locked behind him, Izuku is about to strip down and head for the shower when he realizes he isn't alone. Every single one of his friends is taking up space on every available surface in his home all the way down to Tokoyami the Pizza Guy and Mirio, who has the spare key to his studio.

"Hi," is all he manages.

A chorus of 'Deku', 'Midoriya', and 'Izuku' are yelled back to him before bodies pile on top of him.


	24. My Life is Okay

"How could you do that to us, Izuku?!" Ochako screeches at him when the pile of friends recedes off of him like a tide. "Do you have any idea how worried we were about you?" Many of the others murmur their agreement.

Flashes of dinner conversation go through Izuku's mind and guilt roils hotly in his stomach. He can't bring himself to admit the real reason why he took off and left everyone behind for three days. "I didn't mean to worry you all so much. I just needed fresh air to clear my senses before school starts. New classes, new headspace, and new me. It was an excellent three days of self-care and I feel a lot better. I'm sorry for burdening you and thank you for your concern."

A wave of 'awh' and 'glad you're safe' is chanted to him before there are more hugs which Izuku reciprocates happily. Inasa's deep voice cuts across all of the commotion and pulls everyone's attention to him. "When will we be picking up Sunday Friend Funday again? I look forward to that every week."

The group looks to Deku expectantly. Something about him still being able to decide the fate of game night gives him a sense of security, like he can't fully be replaced if at all. "We will resume game night next Sunday at the house. I'll get the pizza."

"As much as you have bought pizza from the shop, you would think they'd give you an employee discount by now," Sero says from his perch on Izuku's bed. A few people chuckle at the comment.

"I do give him my employee discount," Tokoyami adds in an unconcerned manner while scrolling through his phone. This causes a roar of laughter to erupt.

"We are all having a great time and stuff, but I think we've graced Midori's home enough for the evening," Mina says over everyone and majority of people agree.

Izuku bids them farewell as they each leave. He assures Mirio twice that it is fine that he allowed the group into the apartment, Uraraka gets a double hug, and Iida ruffles his hair as he passes by. After closing the door, Deku lets out a long breath of relief that his guests are gone. "You aren't done yet, Nerd." Bakugou's voice makes him jump out of his skin. Both of his not boyfriends are sitting at his tiny dining table.

"I'm happy to keep you both as long as I can," Izuku replies with a bright smile.

"That is what we are here to discuss with you," Kacchan says. It makes Izuku's heart drop to his stomach.

"Deku, my co-main man," Eijirou starts, standing up and clasping Izuku's shoulder, "you need a new bed. I know you already don't have much room, but your bed doesn't really fit us all in it. And I know, Katsuki and I have tiny beds too so why don't we upgrade? We have roommates unlike you, you lucky duck."

"Are you done now, Shitty Hair?" Kacchan scoffs, standing and moving to where his two loves are. Kirishima makes a small noise of protest but otherwise remains quiet. "Ei is right though." Bakugou pulls Izuku into a tight hug. "I'm glad you got yourself sorted out. We did miss you, so try to limit your camping trips if you can." Before Deku can open his mouth, Katsuki adds in, "of course I called Auntie Inko."

Izuku simply hums in contentment as Eijirou wraps his arms around them to complete the trio. My life is okay.

Something about his new classes has Deku's creativity kicking into overdrive. He is used to painting and sketching with pencil which he still does plenty of, but as he finds himself bent over the largest sketch pad in his inventory, layering colored pencils to get Ochako's skin tone just right, he feels a deeper sense of satisfaction than he has in a long time.

There is nothing heart-wrenching about his new series. It's just his friends but they are all superheroes. Uraraka is floating above a group of villains in a forest while wearing a pink suit that looks like something astronauts would wear. There are rocks and branches levitating with her, ready to drop at her smallest whim. Izuku has decided to name it 'You'll Float Too'. To him, the best part of the entire piece is the smile Ochako has on her face, full of determination and victory for a battle she has yet to win. That smile sums up her personality very well and it makes him feel a fondness for her in his chest.

**To Ochako: Are you free to get lunch with me tomorrow?**

**From Ochako: Sure! How about that new ramen place in the dining hall?**

**To Ochako: Sounds great! I'll see you there.**

Sitting his phone down, Izuku picks up a pink colored pencil and continues to work. If his friends are going to make an effort to stay active with him then he will also make an effort. My life is okay.

Breathe in, breathe out. Do it again and again until it's easier. Maybe he could ask for them to slow the pace down a bit, he hadn't realized he was so out of shape. Had he really slacked off that much?

"I'm so glad you asked me to come out with you today, Midoriya. It feels like it's been forever." Momo drops her eight shopping bags next to a bench and plops down. Izuku silently thanks every god that is listening as he sits his three bags down and throws himself beside her.

"It has been forever and that, my dear, is just a shame," he adds.

"Have you decided where you are going to order your new bed from?"

He shakes his head. "Do you have any suggestions?"

"Midoriya, I hope that question was rhetorical."

Laughing, he says, "thank you for having my back." In his mind, all he can think is my life is okay.

"Stretch out Midoriya, you don't want to injure yourself," Iida chides firmly at him.

Izuku is sprawled out on his back, chest heaving, and shirt soaked with sweat. "I am an artist," he gasps out, "I don't need working legs to draw."

Iida glares daggers in his direction. "That is distasteful and rude of you to say. You're running three miles tomorrow just for the snark." He can only bring himself to groan at the very real threat. Things could definitely be worse. My life is okay.

The interior of One for All has yet to change in the last two years that Izuku has worked there and it makes it feel very familiar and home-like to him.

"Izuku, you called the business partner meeting in, so you start," Toshinori says, sitting on the leather couch opposite of him.

"Professor Aizawa said something to me when I was working on graduate school planning with him and I think we should try it. I want to turn the waiting area and the hallway walls into an art gallery where we hang up amateur artists' works and sell them. No other shop offers that kind of opportunity and we should be leading the way in it. Between our advertising, the artists' word of mouth, and social media, I think this can become a big deal."

Toshinori looks thoughtful for a minute before saying, "One for All doesn't use social media. I don't have time for that."

"We do now, Pops," Shinsou says nonchalantly as he walks by them.

"Shinsou runs our social media pages," Izuku chimes brightly. "The art industry is becoming popular again. I don't want us to miss out."

With a sigh, Toshi nods. "I trust you and your decisions. Just tell me what we need to do to make it a reality."

"Thank you, Dad, you're the best!" He hugs the blonde man around the middle and feels slender fingers card through his curls. "You too, 'Toshi." The lilac haired man withdraws his digits from Izuku's hair with a laugh. My life is okay.

"Honestly, I'm almost surprised as you are, not because I asked you to meet with me but because you agreed."

Heterochromatic eyes gaze at him evenly, void of all emotion except a glint of curiosity. "You asked, I'm here. I'm all ears for what you have to say, Midoriya."

Izuku sucks in a deep breath before starting with, "my life is okay."


	25. We Are Human After All

Just staring at Todoroki is making a vortex of emotions open in his chest. Anger, disgust, hurt, and confusion are the most prominent of them all. How can someone like Shouto sit there and look so innocent after he used Izuku to cheat on Inasa?

"That isn't what happened," Todoroki answers. Izuku didn't know he had voiced the question out loud.

"Well then enlighten me, please. It looks really bad from where I'm standing." Izuku fights to keep his voice even.

"I did really like you at one point. Then Inasa came into the picture and slowly my feelings shifted to him." Shouto takes a shuttering breath. "When you finally got the courage to ask me out, I couldn't bring myself to reject you. I didn't think about how I would either have to break up with you later or tell you the truth eventually." Todoroki stares at the table in Izuku's small dining space. Tears stream down his cheeks steadily. "I know I messed up with you, it's no one else's fault but my own, and for the dumbest reason to top it all off. I don't deserve your forgiveness but I'm going to ask for it anyways. It won't be the same as before obviously, but I have to admit that I don't like us being on the tense terms we're on right now."

Slouching into a chair next to Shouto, Izuku contemplates the things he has just been told. "What did you tell Inasa about the entire situation?"

"The truth, and he gave me grace when he should've left me." The tears have turned into quiet sniffles.

Deku lets out a small chuckle. "You are both very different from each other. It's kind of entertaining to watch."

A small smile pulls at the corners of Todoroki's mouth. "I think that's what I like best about him."

"I'll forgive you." Izuku pauses to swallow a deep breath. "However, I'm still holding a small grudge against you. I mean, you messed up, Shouto. Being mad at you or hating you is doing nothing for us. We are human after all."

"Fuyumi told me the same thing, that I messed up. I threw our friendship away for the dumbest reasons."

This time Deku laughs and laughs until Todoroki is looking at him with concern. "You did," he says between gasps. "I didn't think of it like that, but you really did. That is so dumb. Here I thought I was the dumb one."

"Harsh," Shouto replies but nods, "yet acceptable. I have a question that I've been burning to ask you."

"Fire away."

"What's it like to have two boyfriends, the right and proper way? You seem so much happier with two than you did with one."

That is not the question he expects nor that he has given much thought to either. Is he happier with both Ei and Kacchan? "Both of them make me happy. I know they're honest with me about everything no matter how difficult. It's the very foundation of our relationship. All three of us click together in healthy ways and work to build each other up in every aspect of our lives. It was a tad bit bumpy at first, I won't deny that, but soon enough we worked the kinks out, and in."

"Too much information," Shouto says, throwing his hands up as if he is going to cover his ears. It makes Izuku laugh again.

Both of them catch up on what they've missed in each other's lives over the past few months. More things have happened and changed for Deku than they have for Shouto. Despite still feeling weary of the man that was once his best friend, Deku also feels freer and more relaxed as if a heavy weight has been removed from his conscience.

"Before I leave," Todoroki says, turning around to look at Izuku in the open doorway, "will you be returning to DJ at Fire and Ice? Everyone, staff and patrons alike, have missed you the past two weekends."

"You'll see me this weekend. I asked for some time to adjust to my classes. I'm surprised Fuyumi didn't tell you that."

"She and I had a small falling out after my infidelity came to light. We don't talk about anything that involves you."

"Let her know we're okay again."

As the weekend approaches, Izuku invites his two men over for dinner and to show off the new king bed that takes up much more room than he wants to give up.

"Izuku, why do I get the feeling that this dinner is more important than you let on?" Eijirou asks, eyeing the feast of food crammed onto his meager amount of counter space.

"You know Kacchan and his well-balanced meals." Deku gets back to making and serving plates of food. Once the three of them are settled in to eat, he speaks again. "Okay, there is something else. Two things actually."

"I knew it!" Ei shouts excitedly.

"Let him finish," Katsuki scolds to quiet the redhead.

"I smoothed out my friendship with Shouto," Izuku announces first.

"Next," Katsuki quips with an eye roll.

"Don't you want to know why?" Kirishima asks Bakugou.

"I don't care why. It was bound to happen eventually so next."

"I want to officially label the both of you as my boyfriends."

"Really? Why the change of heart? Is it something Todoroki said?" Eijirou asks curiously.

Izuku nods, "yes and no. He called you both my boyfriends and it made my stomach flutter and I felt all tingly and warm. I want to call both of you my boyfriends. I want to make it official."

Katsuki nods, sitting his fork down and taking a sip of water. Kirishima's plate has yet to be touched. Kacchan speaks first, "despite how delicious dinner is, I'll take dessert."

In a matter of second, Izuku is draped over Bakugou's shoulder, watching Eijirou follow them to the living area. "Time to try out the new goods," Kirishima says with a wicked smirk. Izuku is deposited on the new, freshly made bed.

"Hmm, say Ei," Kacchan starts, looking dramatically thoughtful, "what do you say to treating our boyfriend to an extra special time since he not only bought a bed fit for three kings and made us dinner but also, because he is the best person we know and the greatest thing to ever happen to us?" While speaking, Katsuki and Ei both remove their shirts and pants.


	26. A New Proposition

The following morning comes much too bright for his liking. Sunlight streams through the slats of his blinds and he rolls away from right into Katsuki's chest. The blonde grunts and cracks an eye open to look at him. "Breakfast before work?" The blonde's voice is rough with sleep but warm all the same. Izuku nods slowly, gazing up at his boyfriend with affection, a small smile playing on his lips. "Wake Ei up all sugary like you do," Katsuki says with a big yawn and stretch before he gets up, finding his discarded boxers and t-shirt to put on as he walks into the kitchenette.

"Ei, baby, wake up," Izuku whispers, rubbing his nose with the redhead's then planting a small kiss on it.

Eijirou rolls over and groans. "I don't want to get up. It's like sleeping on a cloud."

Izuku smirks at Katsuki who is watching their exchange as he heats a pan for eggs. "But your favorite boyfriend wants some attention." Kacchan scoffs at him in false offense before grinning at his silliness.

"Favorite boyfriend, you said?" Kiri asks playfully before pouncing onto Izuku and covering his face in kisses. "Is this enough attention for you?"

"You missed my lips. I hope you aim better when you pee," Izuku says with a giggle.

"You're a brat, Izu," Ei replies, capturing the greenette's lips in a sweet, lingering kiss.

When they separate, Izuku responds with, "but I'm your brat, and Kacchan's too."

"Yes, you very much are," Kiri confirms with a sleepy smile. "Ah yeah, let's not forget about Kacchan."

"Die," Katsuki says from the stove as he flips the eggs.

The other two men collect their clothes from the floor and dress in them long enough to eat Bakugou's delicious breakfast before they take turns showering with Izuku. They indulge themselves with quick shower sex before Izuku runs out the door for work at One for All.

"Good morning dad," Deku says brightly, giving Toshi a quick hug after he deposits his DJ equipment in his workspace. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing well this morning. You seem extra chipper. Was that bed a promising investment then?"

"La la la, I can't hear you!" Deku says loudly, covering his ears as he walks away.

Being back to work at the tattoo shop raises Izuku's spirit quite a bit. He didn't notice just how much he missed putting artwork on people. Sometimes, if the customer is okay with it, Deku skips over the stencil and just does the work free hand. There is a certain level of pride he feels as he finishes a great piece that he simply did with a reference picture.

At lunch time, Toshi calls for him and tells him that his boyfriends want to see him. Kacchan puts a bento box into hands before kissing his forehead and departing. Kirishima does the same thing, but he gives Deku a hug after the kiss before leaving.

"What kind of music are you playing tonight?" Toshinori asks as he eats lunch with Izuku at the front counter, slurping his ramen noisily.

"The good kind," he replies with a goofy smile. Toshi just shakes his head and huffs an amused sigh.

The time for Izuku to go over to Fire and Ice creeps up on him faster than he thought it would. He was so wrapped up in drawing and inking and laughing with customers or coworkers that he didn't realize it had grown dark outside. "I'll see you tomorrow dad. Let me know if you need anything," Deku says as he waves to Toshinori.

"Have a good night. Work hard, play hard," Toshi replies warmly.

"Plus ultra," Izuku answers back, going out into the chilly night. Even though he hadn't been gone long, it felt like forever and walking around the back to the staff entrance of Fire and Ice feels like coming home after an arduous journey.

"Hey Deku," Camie says with a tired wave.

"Are they working you to death?" He asks, eyeing the beginnings of sleep deprived circles under her eyes.

"No, just a full schedule this semester is all. How have you been?"

"Back to being busy and it feels so good." Everything is exactly as it has always been. "Hello Fuyumi, you're looking happier than usual. What's up?"

His boss looks even more ecstatic when she sees him. "Deku! You're back! We've all missed you. Don't get me wrong, Jirou is great, but you always bring so much flair to the dance floor. I'm going to be so sad when you decide to leave the club for good. Work here until you're forty, okay?"

Izuku can't help but laugh and Fuyumi joins in. "I'll think about it. I am happy to be back, that's for sure."

"I'm also glad to hear you and Shouto could come to terms and stitch up what's left of your friendship. No one ever said he was smart. And to think that I'll be leaving my legacy to him one day." She shakes her head in disbelief. "Hopefully, he wizens up in that time."

"You have plenty of time. You're not that old."

"Flattery will only work on me every time. Now get to work."

Setting up is done with muscle memory as Deku looks around, calling up to Jirou's platform to make small talk with her. She chats excitedly with him about her classes and then she says something that shouldn't surprise him but still does. "Momo asked me to be her girlfriend and I said yes!"

Deku smiles and says, "congratulations EJ, you deserve all the happiness." Her cheeks turn pink and she disappears back over the railing of her platform. It makes Izuku chuckle.

Slowly the club goers begin to trickle in, picking up their drinks at the bar and filling up the tables or mulling around the edges of the dancefloor. Tonight, Deku intends to start things a little slower than he usually would. Over the past two weeks of his time without work and learning how to adjust to his new living situation and making time for his friends he had plenty of time to reflect on just how far he has come since starting high school, picking up DJing, growing as an artist, making friends, learning to love and how to survive heartbreak, and extending his family. At one point in time, if life hadn't been going his way, Izuku would've fallen apart time and time again. Not now though, he has become an entirely different person and the new mashup is a way to describe that fact using music. Its purpose isn't to get people up and dancing with their drinks raised above clashing bodies. No, it is to welcome back a new and improved Deku.

"Izuku, m'boy, I have a new proposition for you," Toshinori says over their Saturday morning coffee. His tone is full of melancholy and it worries him. What kind of proposition would make someone so sad?

"I'm all ears dad."

"Gran Torino is retiring and he's leaving his shop to me of all people. The thing is, music is not my forte. Even though I plan to one day give all of my businesses to you I think you should take over Windswept Records now." Deku opens his mouth to put a hold on that idea but Toshi holds a hand up to stop him. "I'll handle the financials and inventories and things like for now and just give you a report each month, but all of the other decisions will be made by you. You will choose the staff, the merchandise, the hours, the décor, and everything else in between those things. I know it seems like a lot, but you have time to do those things and I want you to work hard on your graduate student studies so if it becomes too much then I'll take over fully. Call this a trial run to see if you'll even like it."

"Can I rename it?"

"Sure, it's your shop."

"Jirou, what exactly are you in school for? What's your major?" Deku asks as they sit at the bar waiting for Fire and Ice to open.

Swallowing her drink of cola, EJ narrows her eyes suspiciously at him as she answers, "music education. Why do you ask?"

"Have you ever heard of Windswept Records? It's a shop across from the club?"

"Yeah, I've been there. It's sad that Gran Torino is retiring. I can't help but wonder what will happen to Windswept. I love getting my vinyl from there, its priced perfectly."

Those words rapidly grab Izuku's attention and he can't help but to blurt out, "it's mine now."

EJ cocks her head to the side curiously. "What's your's now?"

"Windswept Records. I own it now."

"What?! No way! What are you going to do with it now?" She is sitting on the edge of her bar stool as she yells out the questions. Even Shouto stops to stare at them, measuring up if it's a dire situation or not.

"I'm going to rename it and organize it better and clean it up and stuff. I was about to ask if you maybe wanted to help? I'd even like to offer you a job, a management position. I need someone I can trust and who is knowledgeable, and you fit the bill perfectly." He has his hands up in case Kyouka decides to pounce on him.

The way Jirou's eyes light up at his declarations makes warmth bloom in his chest and onto his cheeks. "YES! I ACCEPT!"

Two weeks later, Izuku and Kyouka find themselves standing in the middle of Windswept Records on a bright Sunday morning. They take in everything slowly as they try to figure out where to start. "Gran Torino didn't keep any inventory of his stocks at all. The stuff isn't even organized. How did you find the vinyl records you were looking for when you came in?"

"Simple, I didn't know what I was going to get until I found something I liked in one of the crates." Deku looks at her with wide eyes. "What?"

"That isn't what I was expecting. I think we're going to need some help if we don't want to be doing inventory into the next semester." Deku sends out an SOS text to all of his friends explaining the situation and that if they help then they'll be compensated in the form of hot ramen and good company. Not long after they begin working, Kaminari appears in their open doorway shortly followed by Ochako. Looking over at them, Izuku calls out, "there are donuts and coffee on the counter if you want breakfast. Hot ramen is for lunch break and then pizza will be for game night!"

When Iida, Kirishima, and Momo arrive they walk in to see Jirou and Kaminari swatting at each other with records that they are supposed to be dusting off and typing into the inventory sheets on Smoogle Documents while Deku pulls crates off of the shelves. He neatly puts them in a corner next to the two friends who are playfully arguing before checking on Ochako who is dusting everything she can reach.

"This looks like a party," Kirishima says loudly.

"A cleaning party," Jirou corrects him. "Morning food is over there. Keep it over there if you don't want to have it sprinkled with dust."

Toshinori stops in just before lunch break to offer his help, but sees it isn't really that necessary when he walks in. Or at least, he hopes it isn't because the system they have going on looks rather complicated. There are sticky notes on every surface, there are four laptops on a large table in the middle of the room and they are all separated by crates labeled with more colorful little notes. Each laptop has two people sitting in front of it as they go through vinyl records, occasionally calling out to each other about a variety of things. He finds Izuku and Kyouka at the front counter with their heads together over a large pad of paper. "What do we have going on here?"

Both of them look up at the sound of his voice and grin widely. "It's a layout of the store," Izuku explains as he gestures at the paper. "We are going to move things around and make room for some modern technology as well."

"What else?"

Excitedly, each of the DJs take turns explaining the inventory system they have, how Smoogle Documents works, the proposed store hours and sales as well as a loyalty program, social media pages that Momo will be setting up for them, and finally, renaming the shop itself.

"We are going to call it 'Sound Bytes'," Jirou explains, high fiving Izuku in the process.

Toshi looks thoughtful for a minute. "I must say that I'm impressed by the both of you. I think this will work out wonderfully. Now, I haven't been much of a help, but could I get in on that hot ramen offer for lunch? I'm starving."

Waking up refreshed and rejuvenated on Monday, Izuku sets off for his two classes of the day. Once they're over and he reaches the safety of his home, Deku puts on his favorite pair of cotton shorts and a tank top before plopping down at his dining table to continue working on the next hero sketch in his series. This time it features two heroes, Kacchan and Eijirou. The former is at the top of the page, wearing a suit that is just as explosive as his powers. Grenade gauntlets cover his arms as explosions detonate from his hands to make him soar into a blue sky, and they cover half of the paper in vivid oranges and reds that swirl and spike in a way that constantly keeps Izuku's eye moving across the page every time he stops to look at it.

Eijirou is at the bottom of the page, the texture of his skin is rock-like to show his superpower off. The background is a brick wall that Ei has busted a hole into and is climbing through. Izuku shades it so it appears as if he is climbing off of the page. It isn't perfect by any means but with time he is sure he will improve. With time, everything else in his life has improved, so why not his art too?


	27. Playtime

Knocking on his door pulls his attention from the vibrant piece of art he has just created. Opening it, he finds his boyfriends standing on the other side. Skipping formal greetings, Izuku drags them both inside. "I want to show you something I just finished." He takes the bags from their hands and puts them on the counters before flourishing a hand towards the table.

"Whoa, I'm so manly!" Eijirou exclaims happily, nudging Katsuki in the process.

"My ability is way better. Good call on that, 'Zuku," Kacchan says, smirking in a way that tells the other two his ego has been stroked.

"What brings you over to my place?" Deku asks sweetly.

"It was going to be a surprise dinner of katsudon," Eijirou starts, peering around Katsuki to look over Izuku from head to toe. "But I think you're the surprise dinner now."

Bakugou nods in agreement. "Except for the fact that Ei has a request."

The redhead seems to get sheepish as he quietly asks, "Izu, could I try topping you?"

"Is that all sweetheart?" Deku responds with a lilt in his voice, stepping towards Kirishima. He slips his hands up Ei's shirt, pulling it off as he pushes him backwards to the bed where he helps remove the remaining articles of clothing once he has the other man laying down. "You can top me, but only if I get to ride you. I want to blow your mind." Izuku bites his lip as he straddles the redhead, teasing his exposed cock with his shorts-clad ass. "Is that what you want baby?"

Eijirou nods, his fingers squeezing Deku's creamy thighs as the greenette rolls his hips again. A hand on Izuku's back pushes him forward. Katsuki's deft fingers quickly work the cotton bottoms off before he grips tightly to Deku's juicy, freckled asscheeks.

"Kacchan's tongue feels so good!" Izuku cries out as Katsuki licks and probes at his hole. His body becomes a live wire as Kirishima kisses him heatedly, wrapping his hand around their half hard dicks. Eijirou jerks both of them quickly, panting heavily between kisses.

When Katsuki slips his fingers into Izuku, the greenette moans into Ei's mouth. The stretch feels good and the thought of sitting on Eijirou's hard cock makes his body react with aching need.

"Kacchan, please," Izuku whines at him, looking over his shoulder.

Katsuki lets out a low growl but pulls away regardless. "Show him how it's done, 'Zuku."

Those words put Izuku back into control. He gives Kirishima a sexy smile as he puts himself in the perfect position to slide down on the redhead's thick cock. The stretch from Ei's dick stings a little but he knows that it'll be obsolete within a few strokes. Bracing his hands on Kirishima's muscular thighs, Izuku lifts his hips tantalizingly slow before dropping back down with a lecherous swirl.

Euphoria is clearly painted on Eijirou's face as Izuku keeps working his ass up and down on his dick. It only serves to boost the greenette's ego and make him try harder to bring Ei to a breathtaking orgasm.

A low moan reminds them that they have an audience. Katsuki is working his own erection as he watches the other two meld together in their sensual dance. Sharing a look, they motion for Bakugou to come over. When he does, Ei makes him straddle his waist then takes over stroking Katsuki's cock. Izuku continues to ride Ei just as passionately as he has been but digs his fingers into Katsuki's hips and sinks his teeth into his shoulders where he sucks mark after mark into existence.

Ei's dick becomes even harder and starts to throb and Izuku knows what happens next so he lets go of Katsuki to jerk himself off. Kirishima lets out a guttural moan as he cums in Izuku who rides him through his orgasm and into his own release, painting himself and Ei with his pearly seed.

Katsuki follows Izuku over the edge of ecstasy before sitting on Kirishima. With a snort, Izuku leans up and announces, "Kacchan, you just sat in my jizz." He and Eijirou laugh at Bakugou's wide eyed expression.

Leaning forward, Katsuki tells Izu, "lick it off." The green haired man obliges with no hesitation. "Is there anything sexual you won't do?"

Izuku thinks about it for a long minute. "Maybe like three or four really gross things but everything else is fair game."

A shared look between Kacchan and Eijirou tells Izuku that he is in for some fun trouble. Which is why the first semester of graduate school passes by in a blur.

**Double Penetration**

The day he starts working on Iida's hero drawing, his boyfriends appear on his doorstep with matching devious smiles on their faces. That is how he finds himself bent over Kirishima on the bed with both of their dicks buried deep inside his asshole. Katsuki has his fingers tangled in his green curls, pulling hard as Eijirou licks and bites at his nipples. Feeling both of them move inside of him has Izuku cumming as almost violent shivers wrack his body.

**Lingerie, Sex Toy, Semi-Public Sex, Daddy Kink**

One Saturday has Eijirou showing up with a couple of shopping bags in his hands. After much demanding that turns into bargaining, Izuku finds himself with a butt plug in his ass that is covered by a pair of red lace cheeky panties. It is all brought together by a new pair of shorts and a tank top that reads "Too Spicy".

Deku refuses to admit that he is more comfortable than usual in those practically nonexistent panties. Even after he is done DJ-ing and starts his trek back to his apartment.

Izuku is nearly back home when he sees Kirishima walking towards him quickly. Before he can utter a word though, a hand clamps over his mouth as strong arms pull him into an alley.

"Hey 'Zuku," Katsuki growls into his ear. The hand stays over his mouth as the blonde yanks down the shorts followed by the panties. Deku wants to protest about the mistreatment of his new favorite undergarments but can't and not because of Katsuki's hand but because as soon as the plug is out of his ass, the blonde's dick is in it. Pushing him chest first against the building, Bakugou mercilessly rails his ass as hard and deep as humanly possible.

Thanks to Katsuki's hand, Deku's moans are muffled but the green haired man realizes that they could be seen at any moment which makes him tense up.

"I have Ei on lookout duty, 'Zuku. Calm the hell down," Katsuki murmurs in his ear. It helps him to relax. "I love that it took you so long to worry about me fucking you in public. You're my little exhibitionist, aren't you Deku? Daddy's little slut."

Izuku will forever deny that those words made him immediately paint the bricks in front of him but Katsuki knows better and that's all that matters.

**Light Bondage, Spanking, Spit Roasting, Brief Emotional Hurt/Comfort**

In the middle of midterms for Kacchan and Eijirou, they stop by his apartment soaked with rainwater. He hangs up their clothes over the heater to dry and has them cover up for warmth before returning to his work.

"Izu, we got something for all of us today," Kirishima says after about a half hour.

By now, Izuku is prepared to be fucked at the turn of every hour of every day so he drops his pencil and walks into the living area, dropping his clothes as he goes.

"Well aren't you Mr. Prepared," Katsuki snarks at him with no real bite.

"Yeah, pretty much," Izuku answers back, working to keep the tiredness from his voice.

Both of his boyfriends move together, Eijirou going to Izuku as Katsuki rifles through a few bags they brought. He tosses something to Kirishima before returning to his search. "I'd tell you to relax, but that would be redundant," Ei whispers to him, slipping a silk blindfold over his eyes and securing it.

Izuku is lead to the bed and positioned on his hands and elbows. Cold metal wraps around his wrists with rapid clicking and he can easily identify that he's been handcuffed but the cuffs are then tied to what he assumes, and hopes, is the bedframe. Someone has their fingers opening up his asshole while there is more rummaging around off to his left side.

"Here we are, Ei," Katsuki says carefully, his tone giving away nothing to Izuku.

"Thank you," Kirishima replies cheerfully which makes the blindfolded male more nervous than Kacchan's lack of emotion.

The bed dips down simultaneously both in front of and behind Izuku which makes his stomach do a somersault. Fingers card through his hair, grabbing a handful and pulling. "Okay 'Zuku, be a good boy and suck my dick," Katsuki demands, pressing the tip of his erection to Deku's plush, red lips.

Slowly and with more patience than he really has, Izuku licks his lips seductively before latching them around the head of Kacchan's dick. He moans softly as his tongue works over the silky skin in his mouth, paying special attention to the nerve on the underside of the shaft. Smirking around the length, he opens his mouth and slides Katsuki's dick in down to the base. Izuku lets out an amused breath from his nose when he hears his boyfriend choke, but it doesn't last long as Ei pushes into his ass.

Just as Izuku gets used to the idea of being spit roasted by his boyfriends, something leaves a stinging pain on one of his asscheeks. Eyes snapping open behind the blindfold, Izuku pulls at the handcuffs and jerks off of Katsuki's dick just in time to grit his teeth as another, harder smack to his ass sends a jolt of pain through him.

Kirishima is still fucking into him as leisurely as he pleases but brings another bite of pain to his other cheek. "Pay attention," Katsuki barks, pulling his hair. The blonde shoves his dick into Izuku's mouth again, thrusting shallowly as the greenette works to accommodate it, tears pooling in his eyes before tracking down his cheeks.

Somewhere between being rammed and spanked by Eijirou and having his face fucked by Kacchan, Izuku decides that the entire situation is actually quite pleasant as his lovers use him to gain their satisfaction. They moan lewdly and gasp with pleasure as they work to get off and its all sweet music to Izuku's ears.

"Fuck Bunny, you look like you're really enjoying this," Katsuki groans out between labored breaths. Izuku simply nods to him. "I'm going to come in your mouth and you're going to swallow it all down, aren't you." It isn't a question, but he nods again in answer.

Kirishima squeezes both of his sore asscheeks in his hands as he pumps his seed into Izuku's ass and Katsuki erratically thrusts into his mouth until he stills. The green haired man tries to drink as much of it as he can, but some of it still slips past his lips.

Fingers untie the blindfold as the handcuffs are released from his wrists and only then does he notice that his arms have little feeling in them.

It's while Izuku brushes his teeth that he feels it. The weird feeling of abandonment and failure. Once in the shower, he's about to let it out all of the strange emotions in the form of tears but the door to the bathroom opens and closes and then Kirishima is there.

The redhead wraps Izuku in strong arms and cradles him to his chest, petting his curls softly. "That was a little more, well, more than we expected it to be," Ei whispers to him and Izuku nods in understanding. "We don't want to do that too often, but you were so good to us, Izu. How did we get so lucky to have you?"

Izuku hugs Kirishima tightly to him as the water cascades down their bodies and feelings of warmth and love flood through Izuku once more.

As winter break starts, Katsuki and Eijirou show up at the apartment again wearing smirks.

"I can't do this today," Izuku huffs at them. "I have things to do. Particularly important things to do."

"Oh, we know you do, Bunny." Katsuki replies, pulling him close. "That's why we're here." The blonde fixes Izuku's tie and straightens his suit jacket. "Mr. Yamada told us about the thing you didn't tell us about and then gave us tickets to go with you."

Face getting hot, Izuku flounders for a moment before asking, "is that so?" Both men nod to him. "Then we shouldn't be standing here, we're going to be late."

The trip is a relatively short one as the three men troop across the university grounds. A large banner on the front of the Arts Building boldly declares, "AMU Graduate Arts Gala".

"Mr. Aizawa," Izuku greets his teacher once inside.

"Midoriya," he acknowledges back. "Though you know how this goes since we discussed it last week, let me reiterate to you just in case you're nervous and the details have slipped your mind." Mr. Aizawa clips a name tag to his suit pocket as he speaks. "Stay in your area, present your art and answer questions, and work to sell your pieces. You have outstanding talent and I think you underpriced some of your pieces, but it's your decision ultimately."

"I understand," Izuku states, glancing around the lobby of the building. "I'll try my best."

"I know you will."

Once Bakugou and Kirishima hand their tickets over to the girl at the table, the three men help themselves to the complimentary hot beverages and wander off to Izuku's area of the building.

Every room displays a different graduate students' art and the second room on the right belongs to Izuku. Canvases and framed pieces of art cover all four walls. Some of them are familiar such as "Being a Hero" where Deku is DJ-ing at Fire and Ice as well as "Power Duo" which depicts Katsuki and Kirishima using their superpowers. A couple of drawings from the overlook are named and framed too.

Some of the newer pieces include a painting of an exceedingly popular restaurant in town that is set against a starry night sky, a charcoal drawing of a stack of vinyl records, and an ink piece of an abandoned playground that makes Kirishima shudder a little.

"I almost can't believe you did these and yet I know you did," Eijirou murmurs to Izuku as his gaze moves across each work of art.

"It does feel kind of surreal," Izuku agrees, listening as more and more voices float down the hallway from the lobby. "I better get used to it though, I'm going to be here every Friday and Saturday evening for the next four weeks showing off my art to potential buyers."

That catches Katsuki's attention. "What about work?"

"Toshi gave me the time off and I'll be out of here before I have to DJ. I know Mr. Aizawa said I underpriced my art, but honestly, I'm not that concerned with money. If for any reason I don't make it as an artist, I can always fall back onto both of you. You can be my sugar daddies." Izuku laughs at the looks on his boyfriends' faces. "Both of you are too easy to play with."

Eijirou pouts at him as Kacchan shakes his head. "You'll be supporting us more like it, Mr. Business Owner." Bakugou kisses his cheek. "We're going to go look around so you can get to doing your job, okay?" Izuku hums and kisses both of them briefly. Before they leave though, Katsuki leans down next to his ear and whispers hotly, "I know you like to be an exhibitionist, but try to contain yourself, okay 'Zuku?"


	28. Keep the Beat Going

"Is that it, Uncle Deku?" Eri asks, lifting her head up from the tattoo table. Kouta pays her no mind as he continues his work on her back.

Deku nods slowly, "the rest of it you already know about."

Eri looks thoughtful for a moment before saying, "you should write your life into a book, it's that interesting."

"Leave out all the sex though. That is highly unnecessary," Kouta adds in.

Deku snorts in amusement at the comment. "I'll think about it. Maybe."

"If grandpa and grandma Yagi heard you telling their sweet grandchildren all of those nasty things they would be heading to early graves," Kouta says matter-of-factly.

"Then don't tell them," Deku replies, standing to hover over his apprentice for a moment. "That sword is coming along well."

Kouta rolls his eyes, "of course it is, it's me."

Before Izuku can reply, the bell at the front of the shop chimes. "That will be for me." Walking out, he sees Shouto and Inasa standing by the counter. "Welcome back." They exchange hugs and Deku beckons for them to follow him to his room. "Are you ready for this one, Shou?"

A small smile curves Todoroki's lips upwards. "I've been coming here to get work done by you for how many years now?"

"Hush, you're making me feel old," Izuku chides playfully, letting Shouto remove his shirt and lay on his stomach. He cleanses the whole upper back before him with green soap before pulling up his reference picture. Inasa makes himself comfortable in the guest chair as the tattoo artist sets to work.

They all make occasional small talk and Izuku checks on Todoroki's well-being often enough as the twin dragons start to take life on his shoulder blades.

The bell at the front of the shop rings again and Eri calls out, "we'll be with you in a moment!"

A low, gruff voice replies, "thanks but I know my way around here."

There is a pause and then another voice calls out, "Izu, someone left the ink out for the babies to play with." Both Eri and Kouta protest half-heartedly.

"Husbands?" Inasa asks.

"Husbands," Deku confirms. One of them knocks on the doorframe to his room. Shouto and his husband both agree to see their new visitors. "Come in."

Kacchan enters first with Ei close behind him. "We brought you lunch, Izu."

"We'll wait," Katsuki says, observing the work being done. "We are going to go see your minions in the meantime."

"Have fun with that," Deku answers, returning to his task at hand, but he is still listening in to the conversation going on outside of his door.

"Uncle Kacchan," Eri starts in, "Uncle Deku was just telling us about his time at AMU and he just left it at becoming a successful adult, but there is more to it, I know it! I can feel it in my jellies! Will you tell us more?"

There is a snort. "You can feel it in your jellies, huh? What exactly do you want to know?"

"How did you propose to Uncle Deku and Uncle Ei?" She asks firmly.

Kirishima laughs and then lets out a quiet 'oof' and Izuku knows that Katsuki has elbowed him in the stomach. "I did it in the most romantic way possible because go big or go home," Katsuki starts in seriously. It makes Deku shake his head as he wears an amused smile. "There we all three were, laying in bed after quite the," he clears his throat and continues, "fun time together."

"Oh god, not you too," Kouta complains loudly. "We know what you three do for a fun time. Deku wasn't short on the details."

"Anyways," Katsuki growls and Izuku can just imagine the glower he is giving the two younger artists, "we were laying there together when I just thought, 'now is the time to ask them the question. I love them both and it's a no brainer for me really'. And I did ask, I pulled out both of their rings from my pants pockets, because I will never be ill prepared, and then asked them both at the same time."

"Its true!" Kiri crows out with more laughter, "he opened both of those little boxes up and showed them to us at the same time and said, 'listen here, I love both of you and I want to marry both of you so marry me damnit.' Ever the romantic you are, Katsuki."

"I couldn't tell you who was more of groomzilla between Eijirou and Deku. They were both rather demanding," Katsuki says quietly, almost conspiratorially.

"That's a lie," Izuku yells from his room. "We all know you were the Godzilla of wedding planning!"

"Kiri don't agree with him," Katsuki huffs out, amusement lacing his tone of voice.

"You are a psychologist, Uncle Kacchan, you should have been the chill one," Eri remarks with a snort.

The banter goes back and forth between the four of them for a while before Izuku finishes his work on Shouto. The three of them exit into the lobby area where Katsuki, Kirishima, Eri, and Kouta have taken up residence to talk. "Deku was the best DJ from AMU. I mean, don't get me wrong, Jirou is awesome and all, but Deku could really pump up a crowded dance floor in ways no one else could," Kirishima brags.

"It's true," Todoroki chimes in, "I watched him work many nights over the years and the club goers were always excited to see him take the stage."

"Too bad he's all old and washed up now," Kouta states with a smirk. Eri elbows him gently in the ribs for his snark.

"I could still remix you under the table," Izuku remarks offhandedly as he does the business transaction with Todoroki.

Kouta quirks an eyebrow up at him, "you really think so? We should put it to the test over at Sound Bytes later."

"No, you guys should put it to the test at Fire and Ice in a couple of weeks and let the crowd decide," Todoroki adds in, waggling his eyebrows.

"I want in on the action," Eri whines.

"If we can get Jirou in on this, maybe it could be a 2v2 battle," Inasa chimes in excitedly.

Izuku can say for sure that his life is always full of excitement. Between owning Quirffee and One for All full time as well as part ownership of Sound Bytes with Kyouka, he is constantly on his toes. Add in his two husbands and his apprentices followed by his art and there never seems to be enough time in the day. Staying busy is something he's always done so its not really out of the ordinary for him. Both Kacchan and Eijirou love and support him in all of the things that he does so he can count himself lucky for having such wonderful husbands.

Now, on top of everything else he has going on, he and Kyouka have to go back to old times and work together to create music for Fire and Ice. He'd be a liar if he said being behind a mixer for a crowd of people didn't absolutely send a thrill through him. He will blame it on nostalgia if he gets too worked up.

"I haven't seen him this motivated in a while," Kirishima comments as Izuku walks by, one earbud planted in his ear as he scrolls through music on one of his old iPods that he unearthed from a box in the back of their closet.

"He isn't one to half ass anything," Katsuki comments nonchalantly. "Give 'em hell, 'Zuku," he encourages as he goes back to drinking his coffee.

"Of course, Kacchan, I can't let my students surpass me," Izuku replies, glancing up at the other two with a genuine smile. "You're going to be there though, right?"

"You never have to wonder," Kirishima answers with a thumbs up.

"Right."

Two weeks flies by and Friday night arrives with Izuku shutting down One for All early. He meets up with Jirou at the back entrance of Fire and Ice where they show their badges to the security guard. Camie has long since moved on to bigger and better things.

"Hey Deku, it's nice to see you here again," Camie says from behind the bar. "Its just like old times."

"Sure is," Izuku agrees, "its only about to get more nostalgic."

EJ and Deku set up on the bottom platform as Eri and Kouta make their way to the top one. There had been flyers printed and placed all over the campus as well as posted on all of the Fire and Ice social media. It advertised the DJ battle as "old school vs. new school" and featured a picture of a T-Rex skeleton and a UFO. Above the T-Rex was "DJ Deku & DJ Earphone Jack" and beneath the UFO was "DJ H₂.0 & DJ Rewind". Izuku is sure that Camie is the one who created the flyer and he has to say that it is attention grabbing at the least.

"Are you ready for this?" Deku asks EJ as they plug up their equipment and sync up with each other.

"I always have your back," she reassures him with a familiar smile. "I'll get the crowd heated up and you keep them hot, yeah?"

"My success here was always because of you and a little bit of showiness. I'm glad to be working with you again, it feels like coming home after an awfully long day."

Kyouka snorts and says, "you make it seem like we are going to war together and that we'll never see each other again after this."

"We will see each other again, but isn't this war that we are going into?" Deku asks with raised eyebrows.

She looks thoughtful for a moment before nodding. "I guess it is. Now is the time to decide if the students surpass the teachers. Man, I feel so old right now."

"The good news is that no matter how old you get, Momo will still love you just as you are," Deku remarks brightly with a joking lilt to his voice. "Water?" Kyouka takes the bottle with a thank you and they wander away from their positions to find Todoroki at the bar on the second floor.

"We are doing a coin toss to see who starts the party," Todoroki calls over to them. "Kouta chose tails." Deku just nods and smiles and watches the quarter go up in the air. It lands with heads showing and the two younger DJs groan. "Looks like our fossils are up first."

"You're one to talk," Kyouka huffs at him and rolls her eyes, "you're the same age as us."

"Whatever you say," Shouto replies as he waves his hand around, "we're letting people in now so let's get started." Everyone returns to their spots and Shouto picks up the microphone from Deku's platform and stands in a small spotlight. "Welcome," he addresses the crowd of people and those who are still filing into the club. "Tonight, is a special night. It's Old School vs. New School. DJs Deku and Earphone Jack are good friends of mine and were the DJs of Fire and Ice back when we were in college many moons ago. H₂.0 and Rewind are the DJs you all know and love now." There are cheers across the floor and when they die out Shouto continues. "Here is how this will work. Every 30 minutes the DJs will switch out and take turns rocking your world. Your job is to visit the website that is posted all over the club on these neon green notecards and vote for who you like the best because that will decide which pair plays here tomorrow night as well." More cheering. "Deku and EJ won the coin toss and will be starting this party. Drink, dance, and be merry."

Both Deku and EJ look out at the crowd and find their friend group from college taking up two tables that are laden with drinks. Iida appears somewhat uncomfortable, but Uraraka seems downright ecstatic as she clings to his arm. They had gotten married not long before he, Ei, and Kacchan did. Their two kids just started school at AMU this year. Mina, Hagakure, and Sero are already on the dance floor with looks of anticipation on their faces. They never bothered to get married like Deku and his husbands but the three of them have been together since graduating college. Tsuyu is sitting next to Kaminari and both are throwing back shot after shot. Tsuyu never settled down with anyone, opting to enjoy her life the way she wants with no strings attached. Shinsou sits on the other side of Kaminari with an impassive expression but his eyes are calculating all his surroundings. Hitoshi and Kaminari didn't start dating until later in their twenties and got married shortly afterwards. Despite their vastly different personalities they complement each other well. Its kind of strange to see them all together again at the club and makes Izuku's heart swell.

Deku puts on a bright orange AMU hat and straightens his neon yellow shirt that reads "Boss DJ" and EJ doesn't even give Shouto time to put the microphone down before she goes into her first song. Lack of recognition for the music shows in the hesitation of club goers as they try to figure out what the song is about and how to fall into a good step with it. Mina, Hagakure, and Sero pave the way for the younger generation as they immediately begin dancing since they are familiar with it. Its entertaining to watch as the people around them observe and then join in. Soon enough there is a dance floor full of grinding bodies and Tsuyu, Ochako, and Kaminari even add themselves into the mix. The dancing doesn't stop as EJ slides into her next remix.

Slowly the feeling of DJing settles into Deku's bones as he feels the bass flow through his red high-top sneakers and witnesses the college students as well as his friends shake away the stresses of life. "Deku, get ready," EJ says to him over the music. He nods and steps up to his laptop, queuing up the first track. They fade the music in and out flawlessly and Deku takes over to become the superhero the club goers need. Everything stays hot as the club fills with more and more people. Both transition back and forth between one another every couple of songs and Deku finishes out the first half hour for them.

The younger DJs take over and its obvious the first remix is from Kouta. It has the relatively chill vibe that his music tends to have hence the name DJ H(ipster)₂.0. More of the people on the dance floor recognize the music though and still move along with it. The next track is clearly from Eri since it has a more Deku-esque style to it. DJ Rewind keeps the party alive as she moves into another song and though Deku has heard plenty of music from Eri, even coming to Fire and Ice to watch her, he feels an odd sense of pride rising in his chest as she puts on entertainment for the crowd. Kouta finishes out their first half hour with another chill remix and the job is tossed back over to Deku and EJ.

The entirety of the night goes back and forth that way between the duos and neither of them lose any momentum. They send the dance floor through the highs of party rocking and chills of being humble. All of them lead through the climbs and drops, claps and stomps just to be heroes for another night. And as everything is about to wind down, Shouto climbs up to the bottom platform and scoops up the microphone while he has his phone in his other hand.

"The votes are in," he announces, pausing dramatically, "and you have chosen New School! Tomorrow night here at Fire and Ice, Rewind and H₂.o will be your DJs. Until then, have a great night and stay safe. Deku, if you would, please." He takes the liberty of playing Closing Time as the last stragglers exit through the door. The only remaining people aside from the employees is the nerd gang. Once everything is packed up, the DJs and Shouto meet with them at the tables they still occupy.

"That was so cool," Ochako squeaks happily as she hugs them. "Its so nice to see you guys."

Everyone exchanges the usual pleasantries and Shouto treats them all to a round of water or soda as they catch up on life. The group toasts to the win for Kouta and Eri with Kyouka and Deku joining in too. "Lately I've been poking around and asking questions about Deku's life during and after AMU," Eri says to the group once the chatter dies down a little. "Does anyone have anything to add?"

"During our first semester," Iida starts, pulling everyone's attention to him, "Izuku was coming back to the dorm from Fire and Ice, but he forgot his key to get in."

Izuku groans and buries his face. "No, anything but this one," he whines into his arms.

"He was also way too respectful because instead of knocking on the door and waking me up to let him in, he slept on the floor in front of our door."

"And he stepped on me when he left for his morning run," Izuku finishes, looking up and squinting at Iida. "That was supposed to be our secret."

"Its been over ten years, its fair game," Ochako chimes in. "Every morning at Quirffee, Deku and I used to check out Tenya's butt together when he came in for breakfast." Everyone giggles as Iida's cheeks turn pink and Izuku quietly apologizes.

"He turned me bisexual by rubbing up on me with that bubble butt of his," Kaminari adds.

"Was that at the frat party?" Eri asks curiously.

"Sure was," Kaminari confirms. "He told you about the frat party?"

"He told us a lot of things," Kouta says with a shudder. "Way too much sex talk."

"You didn't!" Mina screeches, whipping her head around to stare at him.

"Enough of talking about me," Izuku declares as he attempts to move the conversation on to something else.

"No way," Shinsou states plainly. "The first time he ever watched me put a needle through someone, he passed out. Just hit the tile in a heap of Izuku." Everyone chortles with laughter as Shinsou flashes him a small smile.

"I told Uncle Deku he should write a book about his life," Eri says proudly.

"What would he call it?" Katsuki asks, amusement lacing his voice.

"DJ Deku, of course," Tsuyu replies as if it's the most obvious answer.

A/N: Well, that's a wrap everyone. I hope you enjoyed the rollercoaster that is DJ Deku! Since this is complete I can start posting other things!


End file.
